James Pearson (engineer)
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James Pearson (c. 182030 August 1891) was a 19th-century
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
railway engineer. He is best remembered as the designer of the distinctive
Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4T steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853. The Bristol and Exeter Railway was consolidation (business), amalgamated into the ...
.


Career


South Devon Railway

Pearson was the engineer responsible for the daily operations of
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel ( ; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th-century engi ...
's ill-fated
atmospheric An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
equipment on the South Devon Railway. Trains only ran in service from 13 September 1847 to 9 September 1848, but he was retained while the equipment was disposed of.


Bristol and Exeter Railway

In May 1850 he became the
Bristol and Exeter Railway The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) was an English railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter. It was built on the broad gauge and its engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in stages between 1841 and 1844. It was allied wi ...
's Locomotive Engineer. Under his control the railway set up new locomotive works at
Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located away from London Paddington. It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city; there are bus services to many parts of the city ...
. These opened in 1851 and built most of the railway's new
broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries ...
locomotives from 1859.


Locomotives designs

The most significant locomotives designed by James Pearson were: * 1851
Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-2-2T locomotives The seven Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-2-2WT locomotives were small 2-2-2 well tank locomotives designed by James Pearson for working branch lines such as those to Tiverton and Clevedon, as well as acting as pilot locomotives at Bristol. The ...
– 7 small tank locomotives * 1854
Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4T steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853. The Bristol and Exeter Railway was consolidation (business), amalgamated into the ...
– 8 locomotives with 9 feet wheels * 1855 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-4-0ST locomotives – 26 saddle tank locomotives * 1856 Bristol and Exeter Railway 0-6-0 locomotives – 6 goods locomotives * 1859
Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4T steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853. The Bristol and Exeter Railway was consolidation (business), amalgamated into the ...
– 2 locomotives with 7 feet 6 inch wheels * 1868
Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4T steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853. The Bristol and Exeter Railway was consolidation (business), amalgamated into the ...
– 4 locomotives with 8 feet 10 inch wheels * 1870
Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-4-0 locomotives The Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-4-0 locomotives were two classes of broad gauge steam locomotives. On 1 January 1876 the Bristol and Exeter Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, after which the locomotives were given new numb ...
– 10 passenger locomotives * 1874
Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-4-0 locomotives The Bristol and Exeter Railway 2-4-0 locomotives were two classes of broad gauge steam locomotives. On 1 January 1876 the Bristol and Exeter Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, after which the locomotives were given new numb ...
– 3 convertible passenger locomotives


Personal life and death

Pearson married Jessy Agnes Mudge, eldest daughter of John Mudge, on 26December 1850 at
Brampford Speke Brampford Speke ( ) is a small village in Devon, to the north of Exeter. The population is 419. It is located on red sandstone cliffs overlooking the river Exe. Its sister village of Upton Pyne lies to its southwest, and Stoke Canon is across th ...
, Devon. He died on 30August 1891, aged 71, at his home in Gordon Road,
West Ealing West Ealing is a district in the London Borough of Ealing, in West London. The district is about west of Ealing, Ealing Broadway. Although there is a long history of settlement in the area, West Ealing in its present form is less than one hundre ...
.


See also

*
South Devon Railway engine houses The South Devon Railway engine houses were built in Devon, England, to power the Atmospheric railway, atmospheric trains on the South Devon Railway Company, South Devon Railway between Exeter St Davids railway station, Exeter St Davids and Plymou ...


References


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, James 1820s births 1891 deaths Date of birth missing English railway mechanical engineers Locomotive builders and designers