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

Early life

Born at Newcastle upon Tyne, the second son of Matthew Robinson, a locomotive engineer, and his wife Jane, 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 (which became the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway in 1896[1]) as their locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent. He was promoted to superintendent the following year.

Great Central Railway

A Robinson-designed GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive, built in 1912, in service at Langwith Junction shed on 7 August 1960

In 1900 Robinson joined the Great Central Railway as locomotive and marine superintendent[2] 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 first passenger locomotive design for the GCR was Class 11B (LNER Class D9) 4-4-0, of which 40 were built between 1901 and 1904, the last being withdrawn by British Railways in 1950.[3] Robinson followed in 1913 with the larger Class 11E (LNER D10) "Director" Class 4-4-0 locomotive, which was used on GCR express trains from London Marylebone to Sheffield Victoria and Manchester London Road. Ten were built, followed by eleven "Improved Director" (GCR Class 11F, LNER Class D11) locomotives during 1920–1924.[3]

Robinson's famous GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive was introduced in 1911 and many more were built for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers in 1917. Some of these reliable locomotives, of which over 400 were built, remained in service with the LNER and later British Railways until 1966.[4]

Locomotive classes credited to Robinson

Waterford and Limerick Railway

YearTypeNos.GSWR ClassGSWR Nos.GSR ClassInchicore ClassWithdrawnNotes
1888–930-6-0WLR 5 to 7224224 to 2261905–1909[5]
1889–942-4-0WLR 10, 22, 20, 23, 43, 44, 47, and 48276263, 275, 273, 276, 290 to 293276G31907–1959
18912-4-2TWLR 13 and 14266226 and 227267
491
F4
F5
1933–1935226 sold to CMDR 6 in 1913; to GSR 491 in 1925
18920-4-2TWLR 32602601912
18930-6-0WLR 45, 46, 49, and 50233233 to 236235J221911–1951
18940-4-4TWLR 152682681912
18950-4-4TWLR 51 and 52294294 and 295295E21910–1954
1896–974-4-2TWLWR 16 to 18, and 21269269 to 271, 274269C51949–1957
1896–974-4-0WLWR 53 to 55296296 to 298296D151928–1949
18970-6-0WLWR 56 to 58237237 to 239222J251934–1951
18990-4-4TWLWR 27279279279E11953
19000-6-0WLWR 2, 4, 11222222222J251929–19504 and 11 sold before delivery to MGWR 141 and 142
IntroducedWheel ArrangementPurposeNotes
18892-4-0Express Passenger[6]
18912-4-2TPassenger Tankfor Limerick and Tralee line, 2 in class[6]
18950-4-4TTank Enginefor Limerick, Ennis and Tuam Line, 2 in class[7]
18964-4-2TTank Engine4 in class[7]
18964-4-0Express Passengerfor Waterford to Limerick boat trains, 3 in class[8]
18990-6-0Standard Goods Engine8 in class[8]

Great Central Railway

IntroducedWheel ArrangementGCR ClassLNER ClassPurposeNotes
19010-6-09JJ11Goods Engine"Pom-poms"[9][10]
19014-4-011BD9Express Passenger[9][11][12]
19024-6-08B5Express Goods"Fish Engines"[13][14]
19020-8-08AQ4Heavy Goods"Tinies"[15][16][17]
19034-4-28BC4Express Passengertwo-cylinder 'simple' "Atlantics", the "Jersey Lillies"[18][19][20]
19034-6-08CB1 (B18 from 1943)Express Passenger[21][22]
19034-4-2T9KC13Suburban Passenger[23][24]
1905-064-4-28DC5Express Passenger3-cylinder 'compound' "Atlantic"[25][26]
19064-4-28EC5Express Passenger8D with modified frames[26]
19060-6-0T5AJ63Dock Tank[27][28]
19064-6-08FB4Express Passenger and Goods"Imminghams"[29][30]
19064-6-08GB9Express Goods[31][32]
19074-4-011CD9Express PassengerLarge-boiler rebuild of two 11Bs[11][33]
19074-4-2T9LC14Suburban Passenger[23][34][35]
19070-8-4T8HS1Hump Shunting Tank for Wath Yard"Daisies"[17][36][37]
19084-4-28J-Express Passenger3-cylinder 'simple' "Atlantic" rebuilt from 8B, 'de-rebuilt' 1922[26]
19094-4-011DD9Express PassengerLarge-boiler piston-valve rebuild of an 11B[11][33]
19114-6-2T9NA5Suburban Passenger Tank"Coronation Tank"[38][39]
19112-8-08KO4Heavy Goods"R.O.D."[40][41]
19124-6-01B2 (B19 from 1945)Express Passenger"Sir Sam Fay"[42][43]
19134-6-01AB8Express Goods"Glenalmonds"[44][45]
19134-4-011ED10Express Passenger"Directors"[46][47]
19142-6-4T1BL1 (L3 from 1945)Heavy Goods Tank[48][49]
19174-6-09PB3Express Passenger"Faringdon" 4-cylinder[50][51]
19182-8-08MO5Heavy Goodslarge-boilered 8K[41][52]
19184-6-08NB6Fast Mixed Traffic[53][54]
19194-4-011FD11Express Passenger"Improved Director"[53][55]
19214-6-09QB7Fast Mixed Traffic"Black Pig" 4-cylinder[56][57]

Preserved Robinson locomotives

Robinson GCR Class 11F 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler–Henderson on display at the National Railway Museum, York, in 2004

Two Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in the UK:

Three Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in Australia

References

Notes
Bibliography
  • Allen, D. W.; Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; Roundthwaite, T. E.; Tee, D. F.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1970), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 8A: Tank Engines - Classes J50 to J70, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-05-3
  • Aves, W.A.T. (March–April 2000), Locomotives Illustrated 130: The Great Central 2-4-2, 4-4-2 & 0-6-2 Tank Engines, Ashford, Kent: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Aves, W.A.T. (September–October 2002), Locomotives Illustrated 145: Robinson Great Central Railway Atlantics, Ashford, Kent: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19, Lincoln: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-73-8
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Russell, O.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1979), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 3A: Tender Engines—Classes C1 to C11, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-45-2
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Hennigan, W.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Russell, O.; Yeadon, W. B. (January 1981), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 3B: Tender Engines—Classes D1 to D12, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-46-0
  • Boddy, M.G.; Brown, W.A.; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W.B. (November 1983), Fry, E.V. (ed.), Part 6B: Tender Engines - Classes O1 to P2, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-54-1
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W. B. (September 1984), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 6C: Tender Engines—Classes Q1 to Y10, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-55-X
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9A: Tank Engines—Classes L1 to N19, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-40-1
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (June 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9B: Tank Engines—Classes Q1 to Z5, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-41-X
  • Casserley, H.C. (1974), Locomotives at the Grouping - 2 - London & North Eastern Railway, Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-0553-2
  • Dow, George (1969), Great Central Album, Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-0070-0
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (September 1966), Part 5: Tender Engines - Classes J1 to J37, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-12-6
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (April 1964), Part 7: Tank Engines - Classes A5 to H2, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN 0-901115-13-4
  • Hancox, A.C. (1995), The Harmonious Blacksmith Robinson, The Stephenson Locomotive Society, ISBN 0-903881-03-9
  • Haresnape, Brian; Rowledge, Peter (1982), Robinson Locomotives, a pictorial history, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited, ISBN 0-7110-1151-6
  • Jackson, David (1996), J.G. Robinson: A Lifetime's Work, Headington: Oakwood Press, ISBN 0-85361-497-0, OL98
  • Russell, Patrick (March–April 1997), Locomotives Illustrated 112: Robinson Eight-coupled Locomotives, Worcester Park, Surrey: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Smith, Martin (July–August 1993), Locomotives Illustrated 90: The Robinson Great Central 4-4-0s, Worcester Park, Surrey: RAS Publishing, ISSN 0307-1804
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Robinson, John George by George W. Carpenter
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