Thomas Russell Crampton
Encyclopedia
Thomas Russell Crampton, MICE
, MIMechE (1816–88) was an English engineer born at Broadstairs
, Kent
, and trained on Brunel's
Great Western Railway
.
He is best known for designing the Crampton locomotive
but had many engineering interests including the electric telegraph and the Channel Tunnel
for which he designed a boring machine. His locomotives had much better success in France, Germany and Italy than they did in the UK.
, on 25 February 1841. They had 8 children, six boys and two girls. The eldest girl, Ada Sarah, died aged 4 on 16 February 1857. and Crampton gifted a stained glass window in St. Peter's church, Broadstairs in her memory. Their youngest daughter, Louisa, was to marry Sir Horace Rumbold, the Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Crampton's first wife died on 16 March 1875 and he married Elizabeth Werge on 25 August 1881. He died at his home, 19 Ashley Place, Westminster
on 19 April 1888 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
.
(GWR) in Swindon
.
. Crampton was involved in the design of the "Firefly" class
of locomotives. Gooch's aim was to produce broad gauge
locomotives that were better than those on the standard gauge
lines, thus proving the broad gauge system was the better technically. Crampton, unbeknown to the GWR, had the idea of improving standard gauge locomotives so that they could match those of the broad gauge. Crampton soon left the GWR. In 1843, he left the GWR.
Crampton realised that the locomotives of the GWR were better than the standard gauge locomotives for a number of reasons. The broad gauge allowed a larger boiler
diameter and higher centre of gravity for the same stability. Broad gauge also allowed a bigger firebox and heating area. Larger driving wheel
s gave a lower piston speed, which allowed a higher speed for the locomotive before exhaust problems occurred.
In 1843, Crampton took out a patent
for a new design of locomotive
. It is for the physical appearance of his locomotives that Crampton is remembered for today, with the driving wheel placed behind the firebox. But there were technical improvements that he made, which laid the foundations for future locomotive design. The three most important improvements were:- wide steam passages, large heating surfaces and generous bearing surfaces on the wheels.
From 1844 to 1848, Crampton was working for John and George
Rennie.
In 1845, Crampton received his first order for a locomotive built to his patent. The Namur
and Liege Railway in Belgium ordered two locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels and a 14.5 square feet (1.3 m²) grate. One of the locomotives was tested on the Grand Junction Railway
, who then built a "Crampton Patent" locomotive at Crewe
. After the Grand Junction Railway was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR), another two locomotives were built by the LNWR, including a 6-2-0
with 8 feet (2.44 m) diameter driving wheels. A claim of 79 miles per hour (127.1 km/h) being achieved was made, with an average of 53 miles per hour (85.3 km/h) over 30 miles (48.3 km) with a 60 ton load. Another claim was for a speed of hauling eight carriages over 16 miles (25.7 km) at an average speed of 74 miles per hour (119.1 km/h).
One locomotive Crampton designed had an indirect drive arrangement, with a crankshaft between the driving wheels. This locomotive had a 2-2+2-2 wheel arrangement. In 1847, Crampton became a founder member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and in 1848, Crampton set up in business as a Civil Engineer in London. In 1850, a Crampton locomotive was exhibited at Birmingham
which had balance weights on the driving wheels. This feature was commented upon by William Stroudley
. In 1851, Crampton started the Broadstairs Gasworks, overseeing the construction and financing much of the works.
By 1851, Crampton was working for the South Eastern Railway
(SER). In that year, ten new Crampton locomotive
s were built, and one of these, No.136 Folkstone was exhibited at The Great Exhibition
. In 1854, Crampton became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
and in 1855 he was responsible for the building of the Berlin waterworks. In 1856, Crampton was elected to the Prussia
n Order of the Red Eagle
. In 1859, Crampton formed the Broadstairs Water Company, building a water tower 80 feet (24.38 m) high which now forms the Crampton Tower Museum. The water tower could hold 83000 gallons (377,325.5 l) of water. Broadstairs Water Company was taken over by Broadstairs Urban District Council in 1901. In 1860, Crampton designed a tower for Holy Trinity church, Broadstairs, which Dickens
had described as a "hideous temple of flint, a petrified haystack". Crampton donated a clock as a personal gift to the church. he also donated a wrought iron
bridge which was built across Goodson Steps. This is the Louisa Gap bridge, named after his youngest daughter. Crampton was elected Vice-President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1883.
and Aidin; Varna
and Rustchuk; Strood and Dover
; Sevenoaks and Swanley; and Herne Bay and Faversham
. The latter three lines being built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
(LCDR). Crampton was also the contractor, and later chairman of the East and West Junction Railway. A Crampton locomotive was used to haul the first train from Kineton
to Fenny Compton
.
in 1851. The first messages were carried on 13 November 1851 and the cable was in use until 1859.
The company behind the project was an Anglo-French undertaking, known as la Compagnie du télégraphe sous-marin in France and the Submarine Telegraph Company between France and England in Great Britain. Crampton was the engineer, and Charlton Wollaston
was the electrician involved in laying the cable across the Channel. The SER
were another early user of the electric telegraph, and it was by use of the SERs wires that messages were able to be transmitted between Paris and London, being relayed from Dover
.
, which was intended to be used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel
. Modern drilling techniques were made possible by this invention.
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...
, MIMechE (1816–88) was an English engineer born at Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and trained on Brunel's
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
.
He is best known for designing the Crampton locomotive
Crampton locomotive
A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company....
but had many engineering interests including the electric telegraph and the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
for which he designed a boring machine. His locomotives had much better success in France, Germany and Italy than they did in the UK.
Personal life
Born to John and Mary Crampton of Prospect Cottage (in what is now Dickens Walk), Broadstairs, on 6 August 1816, Crampton was the son of a plumber and architect. He was educated privately. Crampton married Louisa Martha Hall, who was a singer and a friend of Jenny LindJenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
, on 25 February 1841. They had 8 children, six boys and two girls. The eldest girl, Ada Sarah, died aged 4 on 16 February 1857. and Crampton gifted a stained glass window in St. Peter's church, Broadstairs in her memory. Their youngest daughter, Louisa, was to marry Sir Horace Rumbold, the Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Crampton's first wife died on 16 March 1875 and he married Elizabeth Werge on 25 August 1881. He died at his home, 19 Ashley Place, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
on 19 April 1888 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
.
Career
Crampton entered a career in engineering, initially with Marc Brunel at the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) in Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
Great Western Railway 1839-43
On joining the GWR in 1839, Crampton worked as assistant to Marc Brunel and then Daniel GoochDaniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
. Crampton was involved in the design of the "Firefly" class
GWR Firefly Class
The Firefly was a class of broad gauge 2-2-2 steam locomotives used for passenger services on the Great Western Railway. The class was introduced into service between March 1840 and December 1842, and withdrawn between December 1863 and July 1879....
of locomotives. Gooch's aim was to produce broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
locomotives that were better than those on the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
lines, thus proving the broad gauge system was the better technically. Crampton, unbeknown to the GWR, had the idea of improving standard gauge locomotives so that they could match those of the broad gauge. Crampton soon left the GWR. In 1843, he left the GWR.
Development 1844-51
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
diameter and higher centre of gravity for the same stability. Broad gauge also allowed a bigger firebox and heating area. Larger driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s gave a lower piston speed, which allowed a higher speed for the locomotive before exhaust problems occurred.
In 1843, Crampton took out a 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....
for a new design of locomotive
Crampton locomotive
A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company....
. It is for the physical appearance of his locomotives that Crampton is remembered for today, with the driving wheel placed behind the firebox. But there were technical improvements that he made, which laid the foundations for future locomotive design. The three most important improvements were:- wide steam passages, large heating surfaces and generous bearing surfaces on the wheels.
From 1844 to 1848, Crampton was working for John and George
George Rennie (engineer)
George Rennie was an engineer born in London, England. He was the son of the Scottish engineer John Rennie and the brother of Sir John Rennie.-Early life:...
Rennie.
In 1845, Crampton received his first order for a locomotive built to his patent. The Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
and Liege Railway in Belgium ordered two locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels and a 14.5 square feet (1.3 m²) grate. One of the locomotives was tested on the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
, who then built a "Crampton Patent" locomotive at Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
. After the Grand Junction Railway was absorbed by 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...
(LNWR), another two locomotives were built by the LNWR, including a 6-2-0
6-2-0
In the Whyte notation, a 6-2-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has an unpowered three-axle leading truck followed by a single powered driving axle...
with 8 feet (2.44 m) diameter driving wheels. A claim of 79 miles per hour (127.1 km/h) being achieved was made, with an average of 53 miles per hour (85.3 km/h) over 30 miles (48.3 km) with a 60 ton load. Another claim was for a speed of hauling eight carriages over 16 miles (25.7 km) at an average speed of 74 miles per hour (119.1 km/h).
One locomotive Crampton designed had an indirect drive arrangement, with a crankshaft between the driving wheels. This locomotive had a 2-2+2-2 wheel arrangement. In 1847, Crampton became a founder member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and in 1848, Crampton set up in business as a Civil Engineer in London. In 1850, a Crampton locomotive was exhibited at Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
which had balance weights on the driving wheels. This feature was commented upon by William Stroudley
William Stroudley
William Stroudley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway...
. In 1851, Crampton started the Broadstairs Gasworks, overseeing the construction and financing much of the works.
South Eastern Railway 1851-88
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
(SER). In that year, ten new Crampton locomotive
Crampton locomotive
A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company....
s were built, and one of these, No.136 Folkstone was exhibited at The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
. In 1854, Crampton became a member 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...
and in 1855 he was responsible for the building of the Berlin waterworks. In 1856, Crampton was elected to the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
. In 1859, Crampton formed the Broadstairs Water Company, building a water tower 80 feet (24.38 m) high which now forms the Crampton Tower Museum. The water tower could hold 83000 gallons (377,325.5 l) of water. Broadstairs Water Company was taken over by Broadstairs Urban District Council in 1901. In 1860, Crampton designed a tower for Holy Trinity church, Broadstairs, which Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
had described as a "hideous temple of flint, a petrified haystack". Crampton donated a clock as a personal gift to the church. he also donated a wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
bridge which was built across Goodson Steps. This is the Louisa Gap bridge, named after his youngest daughter. Crampton was elected Vice-President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1883.
Railway lines constructed
Crampton was, wholly or partly, responsible for the railway lines built between SmyrnaSmyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
and Aidin; Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
and Rustchuk; Strood and Dover
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
; Sevenoaks and Swanley; and Herne Bay and Faversham
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
. The latter three lines being built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR). Crampton was also the contractor, and later chairman of the East and West Junction Railway. A Crampton locomotive was used to haul the first train from Kineton
Kineton
Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278....
to Fenny Compton
Fenny Compton
Fenny Compton is a village and parish in Warwickshire, England, about eight miles north of Banbury. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 797. Its church of St. Peter and St. Clare was built in the 14th century...
.
Electric telegraph
Crampton was responsible for the laying of the first international submarine cable in the world. This was laid in the Strait of DoverStrait of Dover
The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel. The shortest distance across the strait is from the South Foreland, 6 kilometres northeast of Dover in the county of Kent, England, to Cap Gris Nez, a cape near to Calais in the French of...
in 1851. The first messages were carried on 13 November 1851 and the cable was in use until 1859.
The company behind the project was an Anglo-French undertaking, known as la Compagnie du télégraphe sous-marin in France and the Submarine Telegraph Company between France and England in Great Britain. Crampton was the engineer, and Charlton Wollaston
Charlton Wollaston
Charlton Wollaston was an English medical doctor, physician to the Queen's Household.He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1756. He was a son of Francis Wollaston . He married in 1758 Phillis Byam and their son was Charlton Byam Wollaston , Assistant Judge Advocate. He was Harveian...
was the electrician involved in laying the cable across the Channel. The SER
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
were another early user of the electric telegraph, and it was by use of the SERs wires that messages were able to be transmitted between Paris and London, being relayed from Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.
Channel Tunnel
Crampton designed an automatic hydraulic tunnel boring machineTunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range from a metre to almost 16 metres to date...
, which was intended to be used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
. Modern drilling techniques were made possible by this invention.
Further reading
- On the advantages of constructing, ventilating and working, long railway tunnels with three separate openings. T. R. Crampton, Clowes, 1883. 8 pp.
- The Crampton locomotive in England. P.C. Dewhurst.
- British locomotive design,1825-1960. Glover, G., London: Allen & Unwin, 1967
- Narrow gauge steam: its origins and world-wide development. Ransom, P.J.G., Sparkford: OPC
- Locomotives of the LNWR Southern Division: London & Birmingham Railway, London & North Western Railway and Wolverton Locomotive Works. Jack, Harry, 2001
- Four main lines. London: Allen & Unwin, Hamilton-Ellis, Cuthbert, 1950. 225pp.