Alexander Allan (locomotive engineer)
| Alexander Allan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1809 Montrose, Angus |
| Died |
2 June 1891 Scarborough, Yorkshire |
| Nationality | Scottish |
|
Engineering career | |
| Engineering discipline | Mechanical engineering |
Alexander Allan was a Scottish mechanical engineer. He was born at Montrose, Angus, in 1809 and died at Scarborough, Yorkshire on 2 June 1891.[1]
Career
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. He later claimed the credit for designing the Crewe type locomotive with inclined cylinders and double frames, but this claim has been challenged.[2] 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
- ↑ "Alexander Allan and other Crewe locomotive designers". Steamindex.com. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- ↑ "The Crewe Type" by D H Stuart & Brian Reed, 1971
Sources
- London and North Western Railway Society
- Stuart, D. H. & Reed, Brian: The Crewe Type (Loco Profile No 15), 1971.
| Preceded by Robert Sinclair |
Locomotive Superintendent of Scottish Central Railway 1854-1865 |
Succeeded by Post abolished when S.C.R. absorbed by Caledonian Railway |