sir 1st sir 1st july november english civil engineer construction railways railway infrastructure 1850s 1860s engineer world underground railway london metropolitan railway built cut cover method city streets 1880s chief engineer forth railway bridge opened long eminent career spanning 19th century railway expansion engineer adviser consultant british foreign railway companies governments youngest president major works represent lasting legacy victorian engineering early life born sheffield yorkshire england land surveyor wife elizabeth née educated privately hall near trained engineer sheffield leather uncle railway surveys worked railway projects including london worked resident engineer appointed engineer railway opened initially established practice consulting engineer yorkshire lincolnshire area heavy workload led london member year institution founded member july married died november daughter manchester couple sons railways established busy practice working railway schemes country chief engineer manchester sheffield lincolnshire railway engineer oxford worcester chief engineer metropolitan railway london world underground railway constructed shallow cut cover trenches beneath roads line opened engineer associated city railway today railways form majority london underground circle line work metropolitan railway paid great sum million today million today passed staff contractors sir chairman complained engineer world highly paid railways consulted london great northern railway highland railway following death retained great western railway appointments involved design victoria station london sheffield victoria station station glasgow station station station foot wide train shed roof second widest iron arch britain roof railway station consulting work extended britain including railway engineering projects algeria australia belgium egypt france germany portugal united_states travelled egypt time worked number schemes including railway planned completed death provided advice indian government inquiry railway recommended narrow gauge feet inches light railways visited australia remarks break gauge difficulty later career consultant partner london tube railways city south london railway bridges railway projects designed numerous bridges 1860s designed bridge railway bridge river_thames arch london railway credited design victoria bridge constructed near identical built remain use today carrying railway lines following collapse sir appointed commission review design forth railway bridge commission recommended steel bridge designed constructed locomotives avoid problems smoke steam overwhelming staff passengers covered sections metropolitan railway proposed locomotive locomotive built company broad gauge tender engine boiler normal connected large chamber containing fire bricks act heat reservoir chamber linked set short exhaust steam condensed instead escaping fed boiler locomotive intended operate conventionally open tunnels closed steam generated stored heat fire bricks trial great western railway october failure system leaked causing boiler run dry pressure drop boiler explosion second trial metropolitan railway failure engine abandoned known ghost locomotive sold intended convert standard engine eventually scrapped opening metropolitan railway trains provided withdrawn august period hiring trains great northern railway metropolitan railway introduced designed tank engines design known class minor updates class successful metropolitan eventually engines use remained operation electrification lines 1900s activities professional recognition stood unsuccessfully parliament conservative candidate standing engineering profession high extent elected president period youngest president position institution practice led development training engineers purchased acres estate ross scotland spent frequent holidays justice peace deputy lieutenant county listed member president knight commander thanks government allowing use maps valley working projects accurate survey area british relief elected fellow following successful completion forth railway bridge created taking scottish estate territorial designation received honorary degree doctor laws engineering bridge prize doubled awarded jointly baker died age buried london succeeded son sir died march extinct death reverend sir son
Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet