Alexander Allan (locomotive engineer)
British locomotive engineer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Allan (1809-1891) was a Scottish mechanical engineer. He was born at Montrose, Angus, in 1809 and died at Scarborough, Yorkshire on 2 June 1891.[2]
Alexander Allan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1809 |
| Died | 2 June 1891 |
| Nationality | British |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mechanical engineering |
| Institutions | Institution of Mechanical Engineers |
| Significant design | straight-link valve gear |
Biography
Allan was born in Montrose, Angus, Scotland in 1809.[3] He undertook a apprenticeship to Mr. Gibb, a millwright.[3] In 1832 aged about 23 he took a position at Robert Stephenson and Company, Newcastle upon Tyne.[3] By 1834 he had moved to Liverpool and taken up a position with George Forrester and Company who were about to begin building railway locomotives.[3]
Allan was works manager for George Forrester and Company until 1840.[4] He was the engineer sent for a year to supervise the maintenance of the three Forrester engines Vauxhall, Dublin and Kingstown for the first year of their service at Dublin and Kingstown Railway in 1834.[5]
From 1843 to 1853 he was Works Manager at the Crewe Works of the Grand Junction Railway, later London and North Western Railway, under Francis Trevithick.[6] He later claimed the credit for designing the Crewe type locomotive with inclined cylinders and double frames, but this claim has been challenged.[7] From 1853 to 1865 he was Locomotive Superintendent of the Scottish Central Railway. Allan was an original member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1847.
Inventions
Allan made a number of inventions, including a balanced slide valve, but the best-known is his straight-link valve gear of 1855.
See also
References
Sources
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