Richard Johnson (engineer)
| Richard Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1827 Spalding, Lincolnshire |
| Died |
9 September 1924 (96 years old) Hitchin, Hertfordshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Railway engineer |
| Years active | 1847–1924 |
| Notable work | Bennerley Viaduct, Handyside Bridge, Friargate Bridge, Derby |
Richard Johnson, MICE (1827- 9 September 1924) was a British railway engineer, latterly chief engineer for the Great Northern Railway (GNR).[1]
Life and career
Johnson was born in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and began his career as an apprentice carpenter in 1840. He joined the engineering firm Brydone and Evans in 1847, working on the GNR. He was promoted in 1855 to become the district engineer for the GNR's loop line and then again in 1859 to take responsibility for the Peterborough to Doncaster route. He became chief engineer to the GNR upon the retirement of his predecessor Walter Marr Brydone. He was in-post at the time of the Welwyn Tunnel rail crash (1866). He went on to oversee the construction of the GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension, which involved several significant bridges, including Giltbrook Viaduct in Nottinghamshire, Bennerley Viaduct near Ilkeston on then Nottinghamshire–Derbyshire border, and two in Derby: the Handyside Bridge over the River Derwent and the Friargate Bridge carrying the approach tracks to Derby Friargate railway station, as well as the Kimberley Cutting.[1][2][3] Johnson was also involved in the construction of bridges at Newark, Nottinghamshire, Doncaster (the Don Bridge), Peterborough, and the Copenhagen Tunnels just north of London King's Cross.[1]
In his personal life, Johnson was teetotal and a missionary. He died on 9 September 1924 in Hitchin. His son was also a railway engineer.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Richard Johnson". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ↑ Biddle, Gordon. Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures (Second ed.). Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 291. ISBN 9780711034914.
- ↑ Labrum, EA (1994). "Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire". Civil Engineering Heritage: Eastern and central England. London: Thomas Telford Publishing. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9780727719706.