Everard Calthrop
Everard Richard Calthrop (1857 - 1927) was a British railway engineer and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow gauge railways, especially of 30 gauge, and was especially prominent in India. His most notable achievement was the Barsi Light Railway, however he is best known in his home country for the Leek and Manifold Light Railway. Later in life he took an interest in aviation, patenting some early designs for parachutes.
Early life and career
Calthrop was the eldest son of farmer Everard Calthrop. He had 6 brothers, one of whom was later Sir Calthrop Guy Spencer Calthrop, 1st Baronet, general manager of the London & North Western Railway. The family lived at Deeping Fen, Lincolnshire, and later at Sutton in the Isle of Ely. Calthrop was educated at Uppingham School.[1]
Calthrop started work with Robert Stephenson & Co and then was apprenticed to the London & North Western Railway at Crewe in 1874. In 1879 he joined the Great Western Railway, where he rose to assistant manager of the Carriage and Wagon Works. In 1882 he went to India to join the Great Indian Peninsula Railway as a locomotive inspector. In 1887 he registered the Indian Railways Feeder Lines Company in London to promote the construction of feeders to the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Returning to London in 1892 he established a railway engineering consulting practice.[1][2]
Development of narrow gauge concepts and the Barsi Light Railway
During his time in India Calthrop developed his ideas on the construction of narrow gauge railways. He surmised that the axle load on the axles of all rolling stock, including locomotives, could be equal, allowing a maximum loading of goods wagons. He settled on a loading of 5 tons per axle, which was light enough to allow railway lines to be built with 30 pounds per yard (14.9kg/metre) rail. Further, he argued that using a track gauge of 30 was the best compromise between economy of construction and carrying capacity.[3]
In 1895 Calthrop was engaged by a new company as consulting engineer to the proposed Barsi Light Railway in India. The railway became a showcase for his ideas. Five 0-8-4T locomotives, with even distribution of axle load, were constructed to Calthrop's specification by Kitson & Co. The goods rolling stock was constructed on common 25 feet x 7 feet (7.62 metres by 2.13 metres) pressed steel underframes, reducing tare weight and maximising wagon loads. Calthrop recognised the importance of railways in warfare, and designed the rolling stock to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment.[3] Rolling stock road on pressed-steel Fox bogies, using the Timmis system of double coiled springs.[4] The line was constructed with rail inclination, then a new idea, which involves tilting the rail a few degrees to make its surface more nearly parallel with that of the tyre. Inclination is now applied universally to railways.[5]
Prior to shipment of the rolling stock to India, Calthrop and the Leeds Forge Company, manufacturer of the rolling stock, conducted tests on a specially built test track located at Newlay, near Leeds. The line was opened for inspection by railway officials and journalists, and a number of reports were published in the technical railway press.[6]
The Barsi Light Railway opened in 1897, and was extended on a number of occasions until it reached a total length of 202 miles (337 km) in 1927[1]. The example of the Barsi Light Railway is regarded as having revolutionised the narrow gauge railway system of Indian subcontinent,[7] and the railway was immensely successful, establishing Calthrop as one of the leading figures in the field.[2] Calthrop remained Consulting Engineer until he retired due to ill health a few years prior to his death.[1] The Barsi Light Railway continued to be operated as a privately owned railway until 1954 when it was purchased by the Indian government, and continued to operate as a narrow gauge railway until conversion to broad gauge began in the late 1990s as part of Indian Railways conversion program for all metre and narrow gauge lines.[8]
Involvement in other railways
With the success of the Barsi Light Railway, Calthrop was in demand as a consultant for other narrow gauge railway projects.[2]
Barbados Railway
The Barbados Railway opened in 1883 as a 42 gauge railway from Bridgetown to St Andrew, Barbados. By 1897 the railway and its rolling stock was in very poor condition. Further much of the railway had been constructed with rail too light for the railway's locomotives. A new company was established in 1898 to rebuild and operate the railway. and Calthrop was engaged as consulting engineer. Calthrop arranged for the railway to be rebuilt in 30 gauge, and had Baldwin Locomotive Works build four new locomotives, two 2-8-2T's, an 2-6-0T and an 0-6-0T.[9].
Victorian Railways narrow gauge lines
In 1898 Calthrop corresponded with the government of the colony of Victoria, Australia, regarding proposals for the construction of narrow gauge lines in that colony. Subsequently on his advice the gauge of the railways as built was changed from 24 to 30.[10]
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
In the United Kingdom Calthrop is most associated with the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. The line had been promoted under the Light Railways Act, and the initial plan was to build a railway of 30 gauge to be powered by electricity. Under the influence of one of the Light Railway Commissioners the company directors commissioned a report on the proposed line from Calthrop in mid-1900. In early December the railway's engineer died, and on the 19th of December the Directors sat down to consider both a replacement and Calthrop's report. Calthrop proposed specifications for the line which would result in substantial savings in construction costs, and so he was offered the position of engineer, which he promptly accepted.[2]
Calthrop constructed the line for £35,944, £11,000 less than the original estimate. He had Kitson & Co construct two 2-6-4T locomotives, similar in outline but smaller than the Barsi Light Railway locomotives. Goods rolling stock included four coaches, two bogie open wagons and one bogie van, once again similar to Barsi stock. He also introduced four transporter wagons, designed to transport standard gauge wagons. Each station on route had a short section of standard gauge track where the wagons could be placed. The use of transporter wagons eliminated transshipment, and removed the need for large numbers of goods wagons.[2]
Matheran Light Railway
The Matheran Light Railway is a mountain railway near Mumbai, India, and opened in 1905. Unusually for a railway for which Caltrhrop was consulting engineer, it was of 24 gauge, with tight curves and 1 in 20 (5%) grades. Calthrop designed a 0-6-0T with an ingenious flexible wheel base, four of which were supplied by Orenstein & Koppel.[1]
Arakan Light Railway
In 1910 Calthrop was engaged as consulting engineer by the promoters of a new railway between Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Burma, later known as the Arakan Light Railway. Calthrop had the gauge changed from 24 to 30, For this railway Calthrop had built two 0-6-0+0-6-0 Garratt locomotives, to which he had attached plates reading "E.R.Calthrop's System of Narrow Gauge Mountain Railways".[11] Calthrop was an early adopter of the Garratt type, this being the ninth order for Garratts taken by Beyer-Peacock, and the smallest Garratt design ever built by them.[12]
Patents for parachutes
Prior to the First World War, Calthrop developed an interest in aviation.[1] In 1913 he patented a parachute, and continued to develop it as the war progressed. In 1915 he offered it to the Royal Flying Corps, and successful tests were completed at the time.[13] An unofficial report offered the opinion that parachutes "might impair the fighting spirit of pilots" and the offer was rejected. Calthrop was encouraged to remain quiet about his invention, but faced with increasing losses of pilots he publicised the parachute in 1917. Despite a campaign by some pilots, the Royal Flying Corps failed to introduce parachutes during World War One, although air forces of most other nations did so.[14] In 1916 Calthrop also patented an ejector seat for aircraft using compressed air.[15]
Other inventions and interests
Calthrop had a number of other inventions, including a stock feed,[2] and a modification to the Jones Coupler used on the Barsi and Leek and Manifold railways. He also had a great interest in the breeding of Arabian horses.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Hughes, Hugh 1994 Indian Locomotives Pt. 3, Narrow Gauge 1863-1940. Continental Railway Circle.
- ^ a b c d e f Turner, Keith 1980, The Leak and Manifold Light Railway, Newton Abbot, David & Charles.
- ^ a b Calthrop, E. R., 1997,Light Railway Construction, Plateway Press.
- ^ anon Engineering January 12, 1897.
- ^ Lewis, Nick. "The Leek and Manifold Light Railway". Narrow Gauge Pleasure. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ anon E R Calthrop & the Newlay Exhibition Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review No. 69 Jan 2007
- ^ Bhandari, R R. "Steam in History". The IRFCA Server. Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Marshall, Lawrence C., 2001 Indian Narrow Gauge Steam Remembered Plateway Press, East Harling
- ^ Horsford, Jim 2004 From the Caribbean to the Atlantic: a brief history of the Barbados Railway. Locomotives International.
- ^ Hocking, Graham. "History to 1953". Puffing Billy Fan Site. Puffing Billy Preservation Society. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Parkes, Kevin, 1993, The Arakan Light Railway Indian Railways Study Group Newsletter issue 8, January 1993
- ^ Durrant,A.E. 1981, Garratt Locomotives of the World David & Charles
- ^ Simkin, John. "Parachutes". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Simkin, John. "Technology and the First World War, Parachutes and the class war". History Teachers' Discussion Forum. schoolhistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Bennett, Michael C. "1910's". Ejection seat history. Retrieved 2008-06-02.