Joseph Locke: Civil Engineer and Railway Builder, 1805-1860

by Anthony Burton

Overview

Most historians recognize the work of three engineers as being the men who developed the railways from slow, lumbering colliery lines into fast, inter-city routes. Two are very well known: Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The third was Joseph Locke, who should be recognized for having made a contribution just as great as that of the other two.The Locke family had been colliery managers and overseers for many generations and Joseph, once he had completed his very rudimentary education at Barnsley Grammar School at the age of thirteen, seemed set to follow in their footsteps. However, at the age of nineteen he was taken on as an apprentice by an old friend of his father, George Stephenson, and sent to the new locomotive works at Newcastle. His enthusiasm and willingness to learn soon brought promotion, and he became a highly valued assistant engineer on the prestigious Liverpool & Manchester Railway.During his time there he wrote a pamphlet with Robert Stephenson, arguing the case for steam locomotives and had the embarrassing task of having to correct calculations for a tunnel being built under the direct supervision of George Stephenson. After its opening, he moved on to work on the Grand Junction Railway, at the start working alongside Stephenson rather than as his assistant. But before long, they had quarrelled and the directors handed the whole works over to Lockes control. It was the turning point of his life.Locke was to continue as chief engineer on some of the most important lines in Britain, and his reputation grew to the point where he was also in demand for work in mainland Europe, building major routes in France, the Netherlands and Spain. He became a wealthy man, purchasing the manor of Honiton in Devon and sat in Parliament as the Liberal member for that constituency. He received many honors during his lifetime and died while on holiday at Scotland in 1860 at the age of fifty-five.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473872318
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/24/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
File size:	30 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Anthony Burton is a freelance author and broadcaster, who has specialized in industrial and transport history. He has been involved in around a hundred TV documentaries on these subjects, appearing on all the major networks. He has written biographies of some of the leading characters of the early industrial age: Thomas Telford, Richard Trevithick, Joseph Locke and Matthew Boulton, the latter with Jennifer Tann

Table of Contents

Preface 6

Chapter 1 The Locke Family 7

Chapter 2 Early Life 15

Chapter 3 The Liverpool and Manchester Railway 25

Chapter 4 The Grand Junction 43

Chapter 5 Domestic Interlude 55

Chapter 6 The London and Southampton Railway 59

Chapter 7 The Great Tunnel 69

Chapter 8 Crewe 81

Chapter 9 Railways in France 89

Chapter 10 Rails North 101

Chapter 11 A Busy Life 117

Chapter 12 Back to Europe 127

Chapter 13 The Race to the North 137

Chapter 14 The Member for Honiton 151

Chapter 15 The Final Years 159

Chapter 16 Epilogue 167

Bibliography 173

Index 175