John Aspinall (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Audley Frederick Aspinall (25 August 1851 – 19 January 1937) was a British
mechanical engineer who served as Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Southern and Western
and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
s. He introduced vacuum brake
s to his locomotives in Ireland
, a trend which was followed in Britain, and designed several locomotive
s. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
and of the Institution of Civil Engineers
.
to a Roman Catholic judge
. He attended the Roman Catholic boarding school of Beaumont College
, Berkshire
before being apprenticed to engineers John Ramsbottom
and Francis Webb
of the London and North Western Railway
in 1868. He was sent by Webb to the United States of America in 1872 where he was greatly impressed by the larger loading gauge
in use there. In 1875 he moved to the Great Southern and Western Railway
of Ireland
and became their works manager at Inchicore
, Dublin. Aspinall was promoted to Locomotive Superintendent in 1882 and introduced a form of vacuum braking
to his locomotives which was soon adopted by several other lines, including the London and North Western
and Great Northern Railways
.
He became the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
in 1886 and their general manager in 1899. In this capacity he introduced electrification and greatly expanded the transport of coal. He was promoted to Locomotive Superintendent in 1883 and, continuing the work of his predecessor, William Barton Wright
, he modernised the locomotive stock, bringing in several of his own design. Aspinall served as president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
between 1909 and 1910 and was interned in Germany
at the outbreak of the First World War
in 1914. Aspinall received a knighthood on 13 June 1917 for his contributions to the war effort and national transport system. He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
between November 1918 and November 1919. He was the first recipient of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' James Watt International Medal
, receiving it in 1937. He died on 19 January 1937.
He wrote seven academic papers and was the holder of fourteen patent
s.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mechanical engineer who served as Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Southern and Western
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...
and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
s. He introduced vacuum brake
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
s to his locomotives in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, a trend which was followed in Britain, and designed several locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
and of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
.
Biography
Aspinall was born on 25 August 1851 in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to a Roman Catholic judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. He attended the Roman Catholic boarding school of Beaumont College
Beaumont College
Beaumont College was a Jesuit public school in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England. In 1967 the school closed. The property became a conference centre, and from 2008 an hotel.-History of the estate:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
before being apprenticed to engineers John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom (engineer)
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
and Francis Webb
Francis Webb (engineer)
Francis William Webb was a British engineer responsible for the design and manufacture of locomotives for the London and North Western Railway .- Biography :...
of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
in 1868. He was sent by Webb to the United States of America in 1872 where he was greatly impressed by the larger loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
in use there. In 1875 he moved to the 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...
of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and became their works manager at Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
, Dublin. Aspinall was promoted to Locomotive Superintendent in 1882 and introduced a form of vacuum braking
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
to his locomotives which was soon adopted by several other lines, including the London and North Western
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
and Great Northern Railways
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
.
He became the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
in 1886 and their general manager in 1899. In this capacity he introduced electrification and greatly expanded the transport of coal. He was promoted to Locomotive Superintendent in 1883 and, continuing the work of his predecessor, William Barton Wright
William Barton Wright
William Barton Wright was a British mechanical engineer and Locomotive Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.-Family:His son Edward William Barton-Wright was a promoter of martial arts: see Bartitsu....
, he modernised the locomotive stock, bringing in several of his own design. Aspinall served as president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
between 1909 and 1910 and was interned in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at the outbreak of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914. Aspinall received a knighthood on 13 June 1917 for his contributions to the war effort and national transport system. He served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
between November 1918 and November 1919. He was the first recipient of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' James Watt International Medal
James Watt International Medal
The James Watt Medal is the name of two awards named after Scottish engineer James Watt, both awarded for excellence in engineering:-James Watt International Gold Medal of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers:...
, receiving it in 1937. He died on 19 January 1937.
He wrote seven academic papers and was the holder of fourteen patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s.
Locomotive designs
- L&YR Class 5L&YR Class 5The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 5 and Class 6 were two related classes of 2-4-2T steam locomotives.- Class 5 :The class began as a John Aspinall design of 1889. The first locomotives had 18"×26" cylinders for a tractive effort of 18,955 lb and power class 2P...
- L&YR Class 21L&YR Class 21The L&YR Class 21 is a class of small 0-4-0ST steam locomotive built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway for shunting duties. They were nicknamed Pugs.- Operational history :...
- L&YR Class 23, originally by William Barton WrightWilliam Barton WrightWilliam Barton Wright was a British mechanical engineer and Locomotive Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.-Family:His son Edward William Barton-Wright was a promoter of martial arts: see Bartitsu....
, rebuilt by Aspinall - L&YR Class 27L&YR Class 27The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 27 is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for freight work.-Construction and operation:...
- L&YR Class 30, designed by Aspinall, built under HoyHenry HoyHenry Albert Hoy was a locomotive engineer with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . Hoy was born on 13 January 1855 in London, and educated at King Edward VI's Grammar School in St Albans, and at St John's College, Liverpool University....
.