Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet
Significant design | Fowler's Ghost fireless locomotive |
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Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet,
Early life
Fowler was born in
Railways
Fowler established a busy practice, working on many railway schemes across the country. He became chief engineer for the
Other railways that Fowler consulted for were the
Fowler's consulting work extended beyond Britain including railway and engineering projects in Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Portugal and the United States. He travelled to Egypt for the first time in 1869 and worked on a number of, mostly unrealised, schemes for the
Bridges
As part of his railway projects, Fowler designed numerous bridges. In the 1860s, he designed Grosvenor Bridge, the first railway bridge over the River Thames,[1] and the 13-arch Dollis Brook Viaduct for the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway.[9]
He is credited with the design of the Victoria Bridge at Upper Arley, Worcestershire, constructed between 1859 and 1861,[10] and the near identical Albert Edward Bridge at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire built from 1863 to 1864.[11] Both remain in use today carrying railway lines across the River Severn.
Following the collapse of Sir Thomas Bouch's Tay Bridge in 1879, Fowler, William Henry Barlow and Thomas Elliot Harrison were appointed in 1881 to a commission to review Bouch's design for the Forth Bridge.[1] The commission recommended a steel cantilever bridge designed by Fowler and Benjamin Baker, which was constructed between 1883 and 1890.
Locomotives
To avoid problems with smoke and steam overwhelming staff and passengers on the covered sections of the Metropolitan Railway, Fowler proposed a
The first trial on the Great Western Railway in October 1861 was a failure. The condensing system leaked, causing the boiler to run dry and pressure to drop, risking a boiler explosion. A second trial on the Metropolitan Railway in 1862 was also a failure, and the fireless engine was abandoned, becoming known as "Fowler's Ghost". The locomotive was sold to Isaac Watt Boulton in 1865; he intended to convert it into a standard engine but it was eventually scrapped.[12]
On opening, the Metropolitan Railway's trains were provided by the Great Western Railway, but these were withdrawn in August 1863. After a period hiring trains from the Great Northern Railway, the Metropolitan Railway introduced its own, Fowler designed,
Other activities and professional recognition
Fowler stood unsuccessfully for parliament as a Conservative candidate in 1880 and 1885. His standing within the engineering profession was very high, to the extent that he was elected president of the Institution of Civil Engineers for the period 1866–67, its youngest president. Through his position in the Institution and through his own practice, he led the development of training for engineers.[1]
In 1865/67, he purchased the adjacent estates of Braemore and Inverbroom, near Ullapool in
He listed his recreations in
In 1887 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[19][note 1]
Following the successful completion of the Forth Bridge in 1890, Fowler was created Baronet Fowler of Braemor.[1][20] Along with Benjamin Baker, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh in 1890 for his engineering of the bridge.[21] In 1892, the Poncelet Prize was doubled and awarded jointly to Baker and Fowler.[22]
Fowler died in Bournemouth, Dorset, at the age of 81 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.[17] He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son John Arthur Fowler, 2nd Baronet (died 25 March 1899). The baronetcy became extinct in 1933 on the death of Reverend Montague Fowler, 4th Baronet, the first baronet's third son.[23]
See also
Notes
- ^ His proposers were Sir James Falshaw, James Leslie, George Miller Cunningham and Alexander Crum Brown.[19]
References
- ^ required.)
- ^ Jones, Kevin P. "Biographies of Civil Engineers". SteamIndex. Fowler, [Sir] John. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ "Obituary – Dowager Lady Fowler". The Times. No. 36617. London. 20 November 1901. p. 6.
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ISBN 1-84354-023-1.
- ^ Lashley, Brian (5 May 2009). "Manchester Central marks milestone". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
- ^ a b c "Death of Sir John Fowler". The Times. No. 35680. 22 November 1898. p. 4. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser: 7. 16 February 1886. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ "Dollis Road viaduct". Panel of Historical Engineering Works. Institution of Civil Engineers. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Victoria Bridge". Panel of Historical Engineering Works. Institution of Civil Engineers. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Albert Edward Bridge, Ironbridge". Panel of Historical Engineering Works. Institution of Civil Engineers. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85414-316-7.
- ^ Arthur Grimble – The Deer Forests of Scotland, London 1896
- ^ Canmore - Historic Scotland online, research reported by Prof Roland Paxton, https://canmore.org.uk/search/image?SIMPLE_KEYWORD=Braemore
- ^ Grimble, op. cit.
- Who Was Who. A & C Black/Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Funeral of Sir John Fowler". The Times. No. 35683. 25 November 1898. p. 10. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ "No. 25507". The London Gazette. 1 September 1885. p. 4130.
- ^ ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived(PDF) from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ "No. 26043". The London Gazette. 18 April 1890. p. 2273.
- ^ "University Intelligence". The Times. No. 32990. 19 April 1890. p. 12. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ "INSTITUT DE FRANCE". Engineering: A Weekly Illustrated. Vol. LIV – From July to December, 1892. 1892. p. 782. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- Who Was Who. A & C Black/Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 June 2010.