John_G._Robinson

John G. Robinson

John G. Robinson

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John George Robinson CBE, (30 July 1856 – 7 December 1943) was an English railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Central Railway from 1900 to 1922.

Early life

Born at Newcastle upon Tyne, the second son of Matthew Robinson, a locomotive engineer, and his wife Jane, Robinson was educated at the Chester Grammar School, and in 1872 commenced an engineering apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works, as a pupil of Joseph Armstrong. In 1878 he became assistant to his father Matthew Robinson at Bristol, and in 1884 joined the Waterford and Limerick Railway (which became the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway in 1896[1]) as their locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent. He was promoted to superintendent the following year.

Great Central Railway

A Robinson-designed GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive, built in 1912, in service at Langwith Junction shed on 7 August 1960

In 1900 Robinson joined the Great Central Railway as locomotive and marine superintendent[2] and in 1902 was appointed chief mechanical engineer. He remained in that post until 1922, when prior to the Great Central's grouping into the London and North Eastern Railway he declined the post of chief mechanical engineer of the LNER, choosing instead to step aside for the younger Nigel Gresley. Robinson was awarded a CBE in 1920.

Robinson's first passenger locomotive design for the GCR was Class 11B (LNER Class D9) 4-4-0, of which 40 were built between 1901 and 1904, the last being withdrawn by British Railways in 1950.[3] Robinson followed in 1913 with the larger Class 11E (LNER D10) "Director" Class 4-4-0 locomotive, which was used on GCR express trains from London Marylebone to Sheffield Victoria and Manchester London Road. Ten were built, followed by eleven "Improved Director" (GCR Class 11F, LNER Class D11) locomotives during 1920–1924.[3]

Robinson's famous GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive was introduced in 1911 and many more were built for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers in 1917. Some of these reliable locomotives, of which over 400 were built, remained in service with the LNER and later British Railways until 1966.[4]

Locomotive classes credited to Robinson

Waterford and Limerick Railway

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Great Central Railway

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Preserved Robinson locomotives

Robinson GCR Class 11F 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler–Henderson on display at the National Railway Museum, York, in 2004

Two Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in the UK:

Three Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in Australia

References

Notes
  1. [1]
    Jackson 1996, p. 7
  2. [2]
    Dow 1969, p. 7
  3. [3]
    Casserley 1974, p. 22
  4. [4]
    Casserley 1974, p. 78
  5. [5]
    Haresnape & Rowledge 1982, pp. 17–27
  6. [6]
    Hancox 1995, p. 5
  7. [7]
    Hancox 1995, p. 6
  8. [8]
    Hancox 1995, p. 7
  9. [9]
    Hancox 1995, p. 8
  10. [10]
    Fry 1966, p. 63
  11. [11]
    Boddy et al. 1981, p. 62
  12. [12]
    Smith 1993, p. 4
  13. [13]
    Hancox 1995, p. 11
  14. [14]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 29
  15. [15]
    Hancox 1995, p. 10
  16. [16]
    Boddy et al. 1984, p. 18
  17. [17]
    Russell 1997, p. 5
  18. [18]
    Hancox 1995, p. 12
  19. [19]
    Boddy et al. 1979, p. 66
  20. [20]
    Aves 2002, p. 4
  21. [21]
    Hancox 1995, p. 14
  22. [22]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 6
  23. [23]
    Aves 2000, p. 8
  24. [24]
    Boddy et al. 1984, p. 31
  25. [25]
    Boddy et al. 1979, p. 83
  26. [26]
    Aves 2002, p. 7
  27. [27]
    Hancox 1995, p. 16
  28. [28]
    Allen et al. 1970, p. 66
  29. [29]
    Hancox 1995, p. 25
  30. [30]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 24
  31. [31]
    Hancox 1995, p. 26
  32. [32]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 46
  33. [33]
    Smith 1993, p. 5
  34. [34]
    Hancox 1995, p. 15
  35. [35]
    Boddy et al. 1984, p. 35
  36. [36]
    Hancox 1995, p. 27
  37. [37]
    Boddy et al. 1977, p. 22
  38. [38]
    Hancox 1995, p. 28
  39. [39]
    Boddy et al. 1984, p. 4
  40. [40]
    Hancox 1995, p. 29
  41. [41]
    Boddy et al. 1983, p. 33
  42. [42]
    Hancox 1995, p. 30
  43. [43]
    Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 10–11
  44. [44]
    Hancox 1995, p. 31
  45. [45]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 43
  46. [46]
    Hancox 1995, p. 32
  47. [47]
    Boddy et al. 1981, p. 76
  48. [48]
    Hancox 1995, p. 33
  49. [49]
    Boddy et al. 1977, p. 4
  50. [50]
    Hancox 1995, p. 34
  51. [51]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 16
  52. [52]
    Hancox 1995, p. 35
  53. [53]
    Hancox 1995, p. 36
  54. [54]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 35
  55. [55]
    Boddy et al. 1981, p. 84
  56. [56]
    Hancox 1995, p. 38
  57. [57]
    Boddy et al. 1975, p. 37
Bibliography
  • Allen, D. W.; Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; Roundthwaite, T. E.; Tee, D. F.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1970), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 8A: Tank Engines - Classes J50 to J70, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-05-3
  • Aves, W.A.T. (March–April 2000), Locomotives Illustrated 130: The Great Central 2-4-2, 4-4-2 & 0-6-2 Tank Engines, Ashford, Kent: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Aves, W.A.T. (September–October 2002), Locomotives Illustrated 145: Robinson Great Central Railway Atlantics, Ashford, Kent: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19, Lincoln: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-73-8
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Russell, O.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1979), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 3A: Tender Engines—Classes C1 to C11, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-45-2
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Hennigan, W.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Russell, O.; Yeadon, W. B. (January 1981), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 3B: Tender Engines—Classes D1 to D12, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-46-0
  • Boddy, M.G.; Brown, W.A.; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W.B. (November 1983), Fry, E.V. (ed.), Part 6B: Tender Engines - Classes O1 to P2, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-54-1
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W. B. (September 1984), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 6C: Tender Engines—Classes Q1 to Y10, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-55-X
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9A: Tank Engines—Classes L1 to N19, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-40-1
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (June 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9B: Tank Engines—Classes Q1 to Z5, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-41-X
  • Casserley, H.C. (1974), Locomotives at the Grouping - 2 - London & North Eastern Railway, Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-0553-2
  • Dow, George (1969), Great Central Album, Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-0070-0
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (September 1966), Part 5: Tender Engines - Classes J1 to J37, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-12-6
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (April 1964), Part 7: Tank Engines - Classes A5 to H2, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-13-4
  • Hancox, A.C. (1995), The Harmonious Blacksmith Robinson, The Stephenson Locomotive Society, ISBN 0-903881-03-9
  • Haresnape, Brian; Rowledge, Peter (1982), Robinson Locomotives, a pictorial history, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-1151-6
  • Jackson, David (1996), J.G. Robinson: A Lifetime's Work, Headington: Oakwood Press, ISBN 0-85361-497-0, OL98
  • Russell, Patrick (March–April 1997), Locomotives Illustrated 112: Robinson Eight-coupled Locomotives, Worcester Park, Surrey: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Smith, Martin (July–August 1993), Locomotives Illustrated 90: The Robinson Great Central 4-4-0s, Worcester Park, Surrey: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Robinson, John George by George W. Carpenter
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