Henry Fowler (engineer)

(Redirected from Sir Henry Fowler)

Sir Henry Fowler, KBE (29 July 1870 – 16 October 1938) was an English railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the Midland Railway and subsequently the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Sir Henry Fowler
In The Railway News, 30 September 1916
Born(1870-07-29)29 July 1870
Evesham, Worcestershire, England
Died16 October 1938(1938-10-16) (aged 68)
Spondon, Derby, Derbyshire, England
EducationMason Science College, now the University of Birmingham
OccupationEngineer
Spouse
Emmie Needham Smith
(m. 1895; died 1934)
Children3
Engineering career
DisciplineLocomotive engineer
InstitutionsInstitution of Mechanical Engineers

Biography

edit
 
Mason Science College, now the University of Birmingham

Fowler was born in Evesham, Worcestershire, on 29 July 1870.[1] His father, also named Henry, was a furniture dealer, and his family were Quakers. He was educated at Prince Henry's Grammar School, Evesham (now Prince Henry's High School, Evesham), and at Mason Science College (which became the University of Birmingham) between 1885 and 1887 where he studied metallurgy. He served an apprenticeship under John Aspinall at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR)'s Horwich Works from 1887 to 1891. Fowler was elected as a Whitworth Exhibitioner in 1891.[2] He then spent four years in the Testing Department under George Hughes, whom he succeeded as head of the department.

He married Emmie Needham Smith in 1895, and they had three children. Emmie died in 1934.[1]

Between 1895 and 1900, he was gas engineer of the L&YR, moving on 18 June 1900 to the Midland Railway (MR). On 1 November 1905 he became assistant works manager, being promoted to works manager two years later.

In 1908, following a visit to Sheffield, he is accredited with the formation of the Midland Railway Engineering Club which is now called the Derby Railway Engineering Society. [3]

In 1909, he succeeded Richard Deeley as chief mechanical engineer (CME) of the MR.

Between 1915 and 1919, Fowler was employed on war work and James Anderson became acting CME. During the First World War he was seconded to the Ministry of Munitions, being director of production from 1915 to 1917 and then assistant director general of aircraft production.[4] In 1919, Fowler was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his contributions to the war effort.[5][6]

On the Grouping of 1923, he was appointed deputy CME of the newly formed London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), under George Hughes and became CME in October 1925. He was also invited to serve on the Government Bridge Stress Committee investigating stresses in railway-bridges, especially as regards the effects of moving loads

Along with Anderson, Fowler was responsible for the adoption by the LMS of the Midland's small engine policy. Various Midland standard types were built by the LMS, including the 4P Midland Compound 4-4-0, the 2P 4-4-0, the 4F 0-6-0, and the 3F 0-6-0T. The small engine policy resulted in frequent double-heading, as the locomotives were not powerful enough to cope with loads, and thus increased expense. Standardisation also left these standard locomotives with short-travel valves and small axle boxes, the former leading to inefficiency and the latter to frequent hot axle boxes.

In 1928, the LMS introduced the Royal Scot 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive, based on the SR Lord Nelson Class.

In another departure from the small engine policy, several 2-6-0+0-6-2 Beyer-Garratts were acquired for the Toton-Brent coal trains. However, interference from Derby meant that the locomotives received standard small axle-boxes and short-travel valves, with the result that they were poor performers.

Fowler was not a hands-on engineer in the mould of George Jackson Churchward. Although (as was traditional) designs produced during his tenure were credited to him as "Fowler" locomotives, the majority of the work was done by his staff, with minimal personal involvement from Fowler. An analogy may be made with his successor Sir William Stanier's Princess Coronation (Duchess) class, which was largely designed by LMS draughtsmen while Stanier was out of the country, although Stanier was more deeply involved in other designs during his tenure.

In 1930, Fowler became President of the Whitworth Society as successor to Mr. F. H. Livens, J.P.[7]

Fowler retired in 1933, Ernest Lemon initially taking over as CME for a short period before William Stanier was head-hunted into the job from the Great Western Railway. Stanier was to reform LMS locomotive policy.

Fowler died on 14 October 1938 at his home, Spondon Hall (now demolished), Derby.[1] He was buried in the Nottingham Road Cemetery, Chaddesden, Derby.

Locomotive designs

edit

The following classes of steam locomotive were introduced by Sir Henry:

For the Midland Railway

For the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway

For the London Midland and Scottish Railway

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Obituary: Sir Henry Fowler". The Times. No. 48128. London. 18 October 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 22 August 2024 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  2. ^ The Whitworth Register. The Whitworth Society. 2008. p. 87.
  3. ^ Derby Railway Engineering Society 1908 - 2008 by Anthony J. Broughton, ISBN 978-0-9560468-0-2
  4. ^ "Sir Henry Fowler".
  5. ^ "No. 31297". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 April 1919. p. 4991.
  6. ^ "No. 31457". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 1919. p. 8989.
  7. ^ The Whitworth Register, 2017. The Whitworth Society. 2017. pp. 36, 86.
edit
Government offices
Preceded by Superintendent of the Royal Aircraft Factory
1916-1918
Succeeded by
Business positions
Preceded by Chief mechanical engineer of the Midland Railway
1909–1923
Succeeded byas CME of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Preceded by Chief mechanical engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1925–1931
Succeeded by
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
1927
Succeeded by