David Jones (railway)

David Jones (25 October 1834 - 2 December 1906) was born in Manchester, England, where his father was an engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent for the Highland Railway in Scotland. He was credited with the design of the first British 4-6-0 which was strongly influenced by a Scottish locomotive design for Indian Railways.

David Jones
Born(1834-10-25)25 October 1834
Manchester
Died2 December 1906(1906-12-02) (aged 72)
London
NationalityBritish
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
DisciplineLocomotive engineering

Career

London and North Western Railway

Jones spent part of his apprenticeship under John Ramsbottom, the district superintendent of the North Eastern Division of London and North Western Railway.

Highland Railway

He joined what would later become the Highland Railway in 1855 at age twenty-one. In 1870, he became its locomotive superintendent and, like most such occupants of that position, spent much of his time rebuilding old engines in order to extract a few more years from them. Although he was a fervent disciple of Alexander Allan, Jones' new designs tended to break away from the Allan tradition, which had lasted so long in Scotland.

Locomotive designs

In 1894 he introduced the Highland Railway Jones Goods Class, the first 4-6-0 to operate on any British Railway. In 1899 the three Avonside Engine Company 4-6-0 engines built for the North Mount Lyell Railway are attributed in design to Jones [1][2]

Accidents and death

Jones retired in 1896, after a scalding, experienced during tests of the large goods 4-6-0, had robbed him of the use of his left leg and he died in London in 1906, after a car accident had deprived him the use of his other.

Notes
  1. The Locomotive Magazine of January 1903 has material on the NMLR 4-6-0's
  2. Ellis, Rae (1990) The North Mount Lyell Railway, Tasmania. Part 3: Locomotives and Rolling Stock, Light Railways, No 9, Vol XXVII, July 1990, pp.1-20 - Ellis also attributes Jones's design to the Emu Bay Railway 4-8-0's of 1900 and 1911
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