Edgar Craven Bredin
Encyclopedia
Edgar Craven Bredin was an Irish mechanical and locomotive engineer and later a railway manager.
Bredin was born in Canterbury on 16 April 1886 and educated at Mountjoy School in Dublin.
In 1905 he was apprenticed to Fielding & Platt in Gloucester and became a pupil at Great Southern and Western Railway
's Inchicore Works in 1907. He was appointed Assistant Works Manager at Inchicore in 1916, and was promoted to Works Manager in 1925. The Great Southern and Western Railway was amalgamed into the Great Southern Railways
the same year. Bredin became Chief Mechanical Engineer
of the GSR from 1937 to 1942 when he became General Manager. The GSR became part of Córas Iompair Éireann
on 1 January 1945, and in the same year he became General Manager of CIÉ, and retired at the end of 1946. He died in Dublin on 5 August 1950.
Bredin was noteworthy for introducing the largest steam locomotives to ever run on the Irish rail network. These were the GSR Class 800 three-cylinder 4-6-0
locomotives. Weighing in at over 130 tonnes, they were a full 20 tonnes heavier than the 201 Class
, currently the largest diesel loco running on the Iarnród Éireann
network.
Bredin was born in Canterbury on 16 April 1886 and educated at Mountjoy School in Dublin.
In 1905 he was apprenticed to Fielding & Platt in Gloucester and became a pupil at Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
's Inchicore Works in 1907. He was appointed Assistant Works Manager at Inchicore in 1916, and was promoted to Works Manager in 1925. The Great Southern and Western Railway was amalgamed into the Great Southern Railways
Great Southern Railways
The Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...
the same year. Bredin became Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
of the GSR from 1937 to 1942 when he became General Manager. The GSR became part of Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
on 1 January 1945, and in the same year he became General Manager of CIÉ, and retired at the end of 1946. He died in Dublin on 5 August 1950.
Bredin was noteworthy for introducing the largest steam locomotives to ever run on the Irish rail network. These were the GSR Class 800 three-cylinder 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
locomotives. Weighing in at over 130 tonnes, they were a full 20 tonnes heavier than the 201 Class
IE 201 Class
The Iarnród Éireann 201 Class locomotives are the newest and most powerful diesel locomotives operating in Ireland, and were built between 1994 and 1995 by General Motors. They are model type JT42HCW, fitted with an EMD 12-710G3B engine of 3200 hp, weigh 112 tonnes and have a maximum speed of...
, currently the largest diesel loco running on the Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
network.