John G. Robinson

John George Robinson CBE, (July 30, 1856 - December 7, 1943) was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Central Railway from 1900 to 1922.

Early life

Robinson was educated at the Chester Grammar School, and in 1872 commenced an engineering apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works, as a pupil of Joseph Armstrong. In 1878 he became assistant to his father Matthew Robinson at Bristol, and in 1884 joined the Waterford and Limerick Railway as their locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent. He was promoted to superintendent the following year.

Great Central Railway

In 1900 Robinson joined the Great Central Railway as locomotive and marine superintendent and in 1902 was appointed chief mechanical engineer. He remained in that post until 1922, when prior to the Great Central's grouping into the London and North Eastern Railway he declined the post of chief mechanical engineer of the LNER, choosing instead to step aside for the younger Nigel Gresley. Robinson was awarded a CBE in 1920.

Robinson's famous 2-8-0 freight locomotive was introduced in 1911 and many more were built for the British Army Railway Operating Division in 1917.

Two Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in the UK:
* 4-4-0 "Improved Director" GCR Class 11F No. 506 "Butler-Henderson" (Later BR No. 62660), preserved at the National Railway Museum, York.
* 2-8-0 GCR Class 8K No. 102 (Later BR No. 63601), also owned by the National Railway Museum and on loan to the Great Central Railway (preserved).

References

* Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Robinson, John George by George W. Carpenter

External links

* [http://www.winwaed.com/rail/LNER/locos/O/o4o5.shtml Robinson 2-8-0]
* [http://www.lner.info/eng/robinson.shtml John G. Robinson ] at www.lner.info
* http://www.steamindex.com/people/robinson.htm