Watford Tunnels are a pair of railway tunnels on the West Coast Main Line just north-west of Watford in Hertfordshire, Eastern England. The original was built in 1837 for the London and Birmingham Railway to the design of Robert Stephenson and is just over a mile (1.6 kilometres) long. When the line was widened in the 1870s, a second tunnel was built just to the east. Both tunnels had decorative portals and the south portal of the original tunnel is a Grade II listed building .
115-522: Robert Stephenson , the chief engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway , first planned to take the line further west but the Earl of Clarendon , owner of Cassiobury House , refused to allow the railway to cross his land (now part of Cassiobury Park ). Thus, Stephenson was forced to take a more difficult route to the east through a patch of high ground which required a sequence of cuttings, embankments , and
230-691: A Planet type locomotive, was shipped to the US and became the first movement by steam on a railway in New Jersey when it ran on the Camden and Amboy Railroad in 1831. So many orders for locomotives were received that Stephenson proposed in 1831 to open a second locomotive works. It was agreed that the Stephenson name would not be attached to any other works, and what was to become the Vulcan Foundry
345-514: A civil engineering degree can be obtained after four years of study in the various branches of mathematics, physics, mechanics, etc. The earned degree is called Grado en Ingeniería Civil . Further studies at a graduate school include master's and doctoral degrees. Before the current situation, that is, before the implementation of Bologna Process in 2010, a degree in civil engineering in Spain could be obtained after three to six years of study and
460-687: A tramway , surveyed a route in September 1818 and the scheme was promoted by Edward Pease at a meeting in November. A private bill for a Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was presented to Parliament in 1819 but was opposed by landowners and did not pass. The route was changed, Overton carried out another survey and an act of Parliament , the Stockton and Darlington Railway Act 1821 ( 1 & 2 Geo. 4 . c. xliv), received royal assent on 19 April 1821; Pease and George Stephenson met for
575-604: A 6,500-foot-long (2,000-metre-long) tube made up of 25 wrought iron sections, and was to become for a time the longest bridge in the world. In 1853, he was elected a member of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers and in 1854 was elected as one of the institute's vice Presidents. In 1855 Robert was decorated Knight of the Legion of Honour by the Emperor of France . Having served as vice-president of
690-585: A Freemason in New York. Wishing to see something of North America, he and four other Englishmen walked the 500 miles (800 km) to Montreal via Niagara Falls . He returned to New York, caught the packet Pacific across the Atlantic and arrived in Liverpool at the end of November 1827. In 1827 George was working as the chief engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR). He had built
805-470: A category of their own, typically each with their own degrees, either in separate university faculties or at polytechnic schools. In the United States, civil engineers are typically employed by municipalities, construction firms, consulting engineering firms, architect/engineer firms, the military, state governments, and the federal government. Each state requires engineers who offer their services to
920-457: A civil engineer may perform land surveying ; in others, surveying is limited to construction surveying , unless an additional qualification is obtained. Civil engineers usually practice in a particular specialty, such as construction engineering , geotechnical engineering , structural engineering , land development , transportation engineering , hydraulic engineering , sanitary engineering , and environmental engineering . A civil engineer
1035-478: A doctor, who advised that such a change of climate would be beneficial to his health. After a five-week journey Robert arrived at the port of La Guayra in Venezuela on 23 July 1824. He investigated building a breakwater and pier at the harbour, and a railway to Caracas . A railway linking Caracas to its port was an ambitious project as Caracas is nearly 1,000 meters above sea level: one was not completed until
1150-707: A five-year program at a polytechnic . Traditionally, students were required to pass an entrance exam on mathematics to start civil engineering studies. This exam was abolished in 2004 for the Flemish Community , but is still organised in the French Community . In Scandinavian countries, "civil engineer" ( civilingenjör in Swedish; sivilingeniør in Norwegian; civilingeniør in Danish)
1265-745: A frequent visitor. He introduced her to his father in August 1828, and she accepted his proposal of marriage at the end of that year. Robert spent so much time in London the following year that his partners accused him of neglecting his business. Robert had not wished for a long engagement, but it took some time until a suitable house was found at 5 Greenfield Place in Newcastle, and Robert and Fanny married in London on 17 June 1829. The L&MR directors had not decided whether to use fixed engines with ropes or steam locomotives and resolved to hold trials to see if
SECTION 10
#17327835105861380-518: A landslip affected the east cutting walls causing debris to wash onto the track. A southbound train entering the tunnel struck the debris and derailed inside the mouth of the tunnel before being struck a glancing blow by another train travelling in the opposite direction. Both trains had to be evacuated and several passengers sustained minor injuries. Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson FRS , HonFRSE , FRSA , DCL ( Hon. causa ) (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859)
1495-565: A license may not call themselves "civil engineers". In Belgium, Civil Engineer (abbreviated Ir. ) ( French : Ingénieur Civil , Dutch : Burgerlijk Ingenieur ) is a legally protected title applicable to graduates of the five-year engineering course of one of the six universities and the Royal Military Academy. Their speciality can be all fields of engineering: civil , structural , electrical , mechanical , chemical , physics and even computer science . This use of
1610-577: A partnership to build a railway between the lime kilns at Lanehead Farmhouse and the coal mines at Consett in County Durham. The partners had decided to build a railway instead of upgrading the existing Pontop Waggonway, and commissioned Robert as surveyor and consulting engineer, and with Thomas Elliot Harrison as acting engineer, construction started at Stanhope in July 1832, and the line opened in 1834. Instead of obtaining an act of Parliament
1725-440: A person to obtain a degree in construction engineering . Mechanical engineering , automotive engineering , hydraulics and even sometimes metallurgy are fields in a degree in "Machinery Engineering". Computer sciences , control engineering and electrical engineering are fields in a degree in electrical engineering, while security , safety , environmental engineering , transportation , hydrology and meteorology are in
1840-538: A public campaign and another survey by Robert, the necessary act of Parliament, the London and Birmingham Railway Act 1833 ( 3 & 4 Will. 4 . c. xxxvi), was obtained on 6 May 1833, and it was Robert, not yet 30 years old, that signed the contract on 20 September 1833 to build the 112-mile (180 km) railway from Camden Town to Birmingham . Robert was awarded a salary of £1,500 plus £200 expenses per annum, and he and Fanny moved from Newcastle to London. He drew up plans and made detailed work estimates, dividing
1955-557: A railway between Alexandria and Cairo , with two tubular bridges that he had designed. This opened in 1854, and was extended to Suez in 1858. He spoke in Parliament against possible involvement in a Suez canal scheme in 1857 and 1858. Robert had moved to 34 Gloucester Square in 1847; when in London he would socialise at the Athenaeum and Carlton clubs, delaying returning home until late. By 1850, Robert had been involved in
2070-624: A railway connection at Darlington to London, and the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway (N&DJR) was formed to extend this line to Newcastle using five miles of the Pontop and South Shields Railway. George Hudson , a railway financier known as the "Railway King", was the chairman of the N&DJR, and Robert was appointed engineer. Some work still needed to be completed on the L&BR, and
2185-529: A railway line that avoided gradients as much as possible, extending the route if necessary, and proposed such a route for a line between London and Brighton , but an alternative was selected. In August 1841 Robert was made Knight of the Order of Leopold for his improvements to locomotive engines. In the summer of 1842 Robert was away working on the N&DJR, in September in Cardiff and then in London working on
2300-530: A regular university from their military counterparts. Today the degree spans over all fields within engineering, including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and electronics engineering, among others. There is generally a slight difference between a Master of Science in Engineering degree and the Scandinavian civil engineer degree, the latter's programme having closer ties with
2415-495: A report for the French Railways. Fanny had been diagnosed with cancer two years previously and she grew seriously ill at the end of the month. She died on 4 October 1842. Her wish was that Robert remarry and have children, but he stayed single for the rest of his life. Her funeral was on 11 October, and Robert returned to work the following day, although he was to visit to her grave for many years. Robert grew to dislike
SECTION 20
#17327835105862530-496: A serious problem for goods, with delays and packages being lost at Gloucester. In 1845 a Royal Commission was appointed and of the forty-six witnesses that gave evidence, only Brunel and his colleagues at the Great Western supported the broad gauge. Comparisons between a Stephenson locomotive between York and Darlington and one built by Brunel between Paddington and Didcot showed the broad gauge locomotive to be superior, but
2645-577: A single line railway to open on 1 May. The second tube was lifted into position that October; on these days Brunel was with Robert supporting his friend. The positioning of the first of the four tubes for the Britannia Bridge was carried out in June 1849, when both Brunel and Locke were with Robert, and this was lifted into position in October. The second tube was in lifted into place 7 January 1850,
2760-438: A single line was open to public traffic through these tubes 18 March 1850, and the second line was open 19 October. The route north of Newcastle to Edinburgh along the coast, via Morpeth and Berwick , had been recommended by George in 1838, and Hudson promoted this route for the Newcastle and Berwick Railway in 1843. The required act of Parliament, the Newcastle and Berwick Railway Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. clxiii),
2875-546: A steam locomotive would meet their requirements. The trials were to be held at a two-mile (3.2 km) double-track railway that was to be built at Rainhill . Robert designed the locomotive for the trials during the summer of 1829. Only two of the wheels were driven, as experience had shown that wrought-iron wheels had a high rate of wear that quickly resulted in wheels of different size, and gears were provided for both forward and reverse running . The performance-enhancing idea to heat water using many small diameter tubes through
2990-558: A stop. Robert's stepmother Elizabeth had died in 1845. That year George was returning ill from a trip to Spain and suffered an attack of pleurisy in the cabin of the packet bound for Southampton. He retired to Tapton House , near Chesterfield , and married his housekeeper early in 1848. Later that year he died on 12 August following a second attack of pleurisy, and was buried in Trinity churchyard, in Chesterfield. George had been
3105-711: A third of the country's railway system, and had prematurely aged and become ill with chronic nephritis , then known as Bright's Disease. Robert found that he attracted the unwelcome attention of inventors and promoters; if he was too ill to be at Great George Street they visited him at home in Gloucester Square. In part to defend himself from these intrusions in 1850 he commissioned a 100-ton yacht, calling her Titania. Finding that he had no unwanted visitors when aboard, he referred to her as "the house that has no knocker"; when he went aboard, he seemed to grow younger and would behave like an excited schoolboy. He joined
3220-411: A tunnel. Material excavated to build the tunnel and cuttings was reused for the nearby embankments. Construction did not proceed smoothly. All digging was done by hand except for some use of explosives in troublesome patches. The majority of the tunnel's route is through chalk but test bores missed a patch of gravel and sand which workers struck while digging. The result was a partial collapse, inundating
3335-407: A variety of locations and conditions. Much of a civil engineer's work is dealing with non-engineers or others from different technical disciplines, so training should give skills preparing future civil engineers in organizational relationships between parties to projects, cost and time. Many spend time outdoors at construction sites so that they can monitor operations or solve problems onsite. The job
3450-485: Is a first professional degree , approximately equivalent to Master of Science in Engineering , and a protected title granted to students by selected institutes of technology . As in English, the word has its origin in the distinction between civilian and military engineers; before the start of the 19th century only military engineers existed, and the prefix "civil" was a way to separate those who had studied engineering in
3565-507: Is concerned with determining the right design for these structures and looking after the construction process so that the longevity of these structures is guaranteed after completion. These structures should also be satisfactory for the public in terms of comfort. Some civil engineers, particularly those working for government agencies, may practice across multiple specializations, particularly when involved in critical infrastructure development or maintenance. Civil engineers generally work in
Watford Tunnels - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-478: Is one of the oldest engineering disciplines because it deals with constructed environment including planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems. The term "civil engineer " was established by John Smeaton in 1750 to contrast engineers working on civil projects with
3795-481: Is roughly equivalent to a Bachelor of Science in Scandinavia, to become a "civil engineer" one often has had to do up to one extra year of overlapping studies compared to attaining a B.Sc./M.Sc. combination. This is because the higher educational system is not fully adapted to the international standard graduation system, since it is treated as a professional degree . Today (2009) this is starting to change due to
3910-630: Is typically a blend of in-office and on-location work depending on the focus of each engineer. Most engineers work full-time. In most countries, a civil engineer will have graduated from a post-secondary school with a degree in civil engineering, which requires a strong background in mathematics and the physical sciences ; this degree is typically a bachelor's degree , though many civil engineers study further to obtain master's , engineer , doctoral and post doctoral degrees. In many countries, civil engineers are subject to licensure . In some jurisdictions with mandatory licensing, people who do not obtain
4025-659: The Bologna process . A Scandinavian civilingenjör will in international contexts commonly use the title of "Master of Science in Engineering" and will occasionally wear an engineering class ring . At the Norwegian Institute of Technology (now the Norwegian University of Science and Technology ), the tradition with an NTH Ring goes back to 1914, before the Canadian iron ring . In Spain ,
4140-674: The Britannia Bridge in Wales, a design he would later use for the Victoria Bridge in Montreal, for many years the longest bridge in the world. He eventually worked on 160 commissions from 60 companies, building railways in other countries such as Belgium, Norway, Egypt and France. Robert's death was deeply mourned throughout the country, especially since it happened just a month after the death of Brunel. His funeral cortège
4255-723: The Escuela Especial de Ayudantes de Obras Públicas (now called Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica de Obras Públicas de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid ), founded in 1854 in Madrid. Both schools now belong to the Technical University of Madrid . In Spain, a civil engineer has the technical and legal ability to design projects of any branch, so any Spanish civil engineer can oversee projects about structures, buildings (except residential structures which are reserved for architects), foundations, hydraulics,
4370-577: The Experiment locomotive with sloping cylinders instead of the vertical ones on previous locomotives. Robert wanted to improve the way the wheels were driven and had a chance when an order arrived in January 1828 from the L&MR. The Lancashire Witch was built with inclined cylinders that allowed the axles to be sprung, but the L&MR withdrew the order in April; by mutual agreement the locomotive
4485-466: The High Level Bridge in Newcastle. In 1829, Stephenson married Frances Sanderson; the couple had no children, and he did not remarry after her death in 1842. In 1847, he was elected Member of Parliament for Whitby , and held the seat until his death. Stephenson declined a British knighthood , for unstated reasons, as his father had before him. He did accept several non-British honours: He
4600-536: The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and of the Institution of Civil Engineers . Oxford University conferred an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree on Stephenson. Ways were investigated in the early 19th century to transport coal from the mines in the Bishop Auckland area to Darlington and the quay at Stockton-on-Tees , and canals had been proposed. The Welsh engineer George Overton suggested
4715-915: The North Midland Railway and lines from Ostend to Liège and Antwerp to Mons in Belgium required Robert's attention. In 1839 he visited France, Spain and Italy for three months to advise on railways, meeting the leading French railway engineer Paulin Talabot . When he returned he was in demand, travelling the country, giving evidence to Parliament and was often asked to arbitrate in disputes between railway companies and their contractors. My dear Fanny died this morning at five o'clock. God grant that I might close my life as she has done, in true faith and in charity with all men. Her last moments were perfect calmness. Robert Stephenson diary entry on 4 October 1842 Robert, like his father, planned
Watford Tunnels - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-486: The Panama Isthmus , but this proved too difficult. While waiting for a ship to New York, he met the railway pioneer Richard Trevithick , who had been looking for South American gold and silver in the mines of Peru and Costa Rica, and gave him £50 so he could buy passage home. Stephenson caught a ship to New York; en route this picked up shipwrecked survivors that were so weak they had to be winched aboard, before
4945-594: The River Tyne , at 2:24 pm. Festivities were held in the Newcastle Assembly Rooms, where George was introduced as the man who had "constructed the first locomotive that ever went by its own spontaneous movement along iron rails", although there were people present who should have known better. When George had built the Stockton & Darlington and Liverpool & Manchester he had placed
5060-555: The Royal Yacht Squadron in 1850, becoming its first member not from an upper-class background. Titania missed the 1851 Royal Squadron Cup race, which America won and started the America's Cup challenge, but lost to America in a private race a few days later. A second yacht, also Titania but 90 feet (27 m) long and 184 tons, was built in 1853 after the first was destroyed by fire in 1852. In 1850,
5175-418: The military engineers , who worked on armaments and defenses. Over time, various sub-disciplines of civil engineering have become recognized and much of military engineering has been absorbed by civil engineering. Other engineering practices became recognized as independent engineering disciplines, including chemical engineering , mechanical engineering , and electrical engineering . In some places,
5290-467: The 1,500 employees of Robert Stephenson & Co. marched through the streets of Newcastle to their own memorial service. Civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health , as well as improving existing infrastructure that may have been neglected. Civil engineering
5405-479: The 1833 act of Parliament terminated north of Regent's Canal at Camden (near Chalk Farm Underground station ), as Baron Southampton , who owned the land to the south, had strongly opposed the railway in the House of Lords in 1832. Later Southampton changed his mind, and authority was gained for an extension of the line south over Regent's Canal to Euston Square . This incline, with a slope between 1 in 75 and 1 in 66,
5520-469: The 1880s. Stephenson had potential backers for his railway in London, but he concluded that while the cost of a pier, estimated at £6,000, would be sustainable, that of a breakwater or railway would not. He travelled overland to Bogotá , arriving on 19 January 1825. Travelling onward, Robert found the heavier equipment at Honda on the Magdalena River ; there was no way to get it to the mines as
5635-650: The Colombian Mining Association which had been formed to reopen gold and silver mines worked by the Spanish in colonial times. A Robert Stephenson & Co. partner, Thomas Richardson , was a promoter. Robert Stephenson & Co. received orders for steam engines from the company, and Richardson suggested to Stephenson that he go to South America. To prepare for the trip, Stephenson took Spanish lessons, visited mines in Cornwall , and consulted
5750-756: The Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. The description "civil engineer" is not restricted to members of any particular professional organisation although "chartered civil engineer" is. In many Eastern European countries, civil engineering does not exist as a distinct degree or profession but its various sub-professions are often studied in separate university faculties and performed as separate professions, whether they are taught in civilian universities or military engineering academies. Even many polytechnic tertiary schools give out separate degrees for each field of study. Typically study in geology , geodesy , structural engineering and urban engineering allows
5865-468: The Institution of Civil Engineers since 1847, he was elected president in 1856, and the following year received an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law at Oxford along with Brunel and Livingstone . During his life he had become close friends with Brunel and Locke, and in 1857, although weak and ill, he responded to a plea for help from Brunel in launching the SS Great Eastern . Robert fell from
SECTION 50
#17327835105865980-754: The Member of Parliament for Whitby ; he continued as their MP for the rest of his life. He entered Parliament as a member of the Conservative Party , holding strong protectionist Tory views and opposed to free trade . His maiden speech was in favour of the Great Exhibition and, with Brunel, he became one of the Commissioners. Robert spoke against educational reform, saying workmen needed only to learn how to do their jobs, although he made donations to educational organisations. In 1850,
6095-600: The President of the newly formed Institution of Mechanical Engineers , and Robert took over that role until 1853. The Chester & Holyhead Railway received its permission in 1845, and Robert became the chief engineer and designed an iron bridge to cross the River Dee just outside Chester . Completed in September 1846, it was inspected by the Board of Trade Inspector, Major-General Paisley, on 20 October. On 24 May 1847
6210-528: The Stephensons and Pease opened Robert Stephenson and Company at Forth Street in Newcastle to build these locomotives, Pease lending Robert £500 so he could buy his share. As George was busy supervising the building of the railway, Robert was placed in charge of the works with a salary of £200 per annum. Robert also surveyed the route and designed the Hagger Leases branch, which was planned to serve
6325-664: The boiler was communicated to Robert via a letter from his father who heard about it from Henry Booth and Marc Seguin . With both George and Booth in Liverpool, Robert was responsible for the detail design, and he fitted twenty-five 3-inch (76 mm) diameter tubes from a separate firebox through the boiler. In September the Rocket locomotive was sent to Rainhill where it was coupled with its tender. The Rainhill trials started on 6 October, and between 10,000 and 15,000 people had assembled to watch. Five locomotives had arrived, but Perseverance did not compete, having been damaged on
6440-422: The bridge gave way under a passenger train; the locomotive and driver made it across, but the tender and carriages fell into the river. Five people died. Conder attended the inquest at Chester: he recounts that Paisley was so agitated he was nearly unable to speak; Robert was pale and haggard and the foreman of the jury seemed determined to get a verdict of manslaughter. Robert had been prepared to admit liability but
6555-700: The civil engineering profession worldwide. Official members of the ASCE must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited civil engineering program and be a licensed professional engineer or have five years responsible charge of engineering experience. Most civil engineers join this organization to be updated of current news, projects, and methods (such as sustainability) related to civil engineering as well as contribute their expertise and knowledge to other civil engineers and students obtaining their civil engineering degree. The ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) founded in 1818, represents, as of 2008, more than 80,000 members of
6670-499: The collieries at Butterknowle and Copley Bent. A new act of Parliament was required for the line, and Robert stayed in London for five weeks while the bill passed through its parliamentary process, with royal assent being given to the Stockton and Darlington Railway Act 1824 ( 5 Geo. 4 . c. xlviii) in May 1824. The S&DR ordered two steam locomotives and two stationary engines from Robert Stephenson & Co. on 16 September 1824, and
6785-556: The commissioners found in favour of a 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge, due in part to the greater number of route miles that had already been laid. Brunel also supported propelling trains using the atmospheric system . Robert sent assistants to the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway in Ireland to observe, but advised against its use as the failure of one pump would bring traffic to
6900-455: The company had agreed wayleaves with the land owners, requiring payment of rent. The company borrowed heavily, and the debt grew to £440,000; by 1840 the lime kilns and the section from Stanhope to Carrhouse had closed, and the remaining Stanhope to Annfield section was losing money. A creditor sent a bill to Stephenson that the railway company could not pay, and Robert found that as the S&TR
7015-492: The construction of the original tunnel in his series of lithographs , published to mark the opening of the London and Birmingham Railway. Its modern appearance has changed little from Bourne's drawing. The lithograph depicts the south face of the tunnel during the final stages of construction and horses carting spoil away through the cutting. Matt Thompson of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust described
SECTION 60
#17327835105867130-400: The course. Rocket covered the first 35 miles in 3 hours and 12 minutes. Then, it took a 15 minutes break for replenishing its coke and water supplies before completing the course in another 2 hours 57 minutes. It had run at an average speed of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h), and the highest speed reached was over 29 miles per hour (47 km/h). Sans Pareil was found to be overweight but
7245-463: The end of 1821 they reported that a usable line could be built within the bounds of the act of Parliament, but another route would be shorter and avoid deep cuttings and tunnels. George was elected engineer by shareholders with a salary of £660 per annum. He advocated the use of steam locomotives, Pease visited Killingworth in the summer of 1822, and the directors visited Hetton colliery railway , on which George had also introduced locomotives. During
7360-491: The environment, transportation, urbanism, etc. Mechanical and Electrical engineering tasks are included under the Industrial engineering degree. A chartered civil engineer (known as certified or professional engineer in other countries) is a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers , and has also passed membership exams. However, a non-chartered civil engineer may be a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers or
7475-451: The evenings, he would work with his father on designs for steam engines. In 1816 they made a sundial together, which is still in place above the cottage door. After leaving school in 1819, Stephenson was apprenticed to the mining engineer Nicholas Wood , manager of Killingworth colliery. As an apprentice Stephenson worked hard and lived frugally, and unable to afford to buy a mining compass , he made one that he would later use to survey
7590-412: The first time in Darlington that same day, and by 23 July George had been appointed to make a fresh survey of the line. Stephenson had not completed his apprenticeship, but he was showing symptoms of tuberculosis, and his work was hazardous; he was down West Moor Pit when there was an underground explosion. Wood agreed to release the 18-year-old so that he could assist his father during the survey. By
7705-410: The government in January 1855, although the government lost the vote and the prime minister resigned. Robert had become a member of the Société d'Études du Canal de Suez in 1846, and the following year had accompanied Talabot and Alois Negrelli to look at the feasibility of a Suez canal . He advised against a canal, saying it would quickly fill up with sand, and assisted in the building of
7820-479: The house on Haverstock Hill after the death of his wife. He moved to Cambridge Square in Westminster to be nearer to London's gentlemen's clubs , but soon afterwards the house was damaged by fire and he lived in temporary accommodation for ten months. The Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway opened on 18 June 1844. A special train left Euston at 5:03 am, and travelling via Rugby, Leicester , Derby , Chesterfield and Normanton , reached Gateshead , south of
7935-464: The industry's demands. A civil engineer is the better-known of the two; still, the area of expertise remains obfuscated for most of the public. A noteworthy difference is the mandatory courses in mathematics and physics, regardless of the equivalent master's degree, e.g. computer science. Although a "college engineer" ( högskoleingenjör, diplomingenjör, or mellaningenjör in Swedish; høgskoleingeniør in Norwegian; diplomingeniør in Danish)
8050-413: The iron bridge was formally opened by Queen Victoria in September 1849, Robert having been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June. The bridge across the Tweed is a 28-arch stone viaduct, and was opened by the Queen on 29 August 1850. At the celebratory dinner Robert sat beside the Queen; he had just been offered a knighthood , but had declined. In August 1847 , Robert was elected unopposed as
8165-443: The line into 30 contracts, most of which were placed by October 1835. A drawing office with 20–30 draughtsmen was established at the empty Eyre Arms Hotel in St John's Wood; George Parker Bidder , whom Robert had first met at Edinburgh University, started working for him there. Primrose Hill Tunnel , Wolverton embankment, and Kilsby Tunnel all had engineering problems and were completed using direct labour. The line permitted by
8280-615: The only route was a narrow and steep path. The mines were another 12 miles (19 km) from Mariquita , and Stephenson set up home at Santa Ana in a bungalow. The Mining Association sent Cornish miners to work the mine, but they proved difficult to manage and drank so heavily that only two-thirds were available for work on any given day. They refused to accept that Stephenson, who had not been brought up in Cornwall, could know anything about mining. His contract ended on 16 July 1827. He travelled to Cartagena to see if he could walk across
8395-572: The original estimate of £2.4 million. In 1835 Robert travelled with his father to Belgium. George had been invited to advise King Leopold on the Belgian State Railway and was decorated with the Order of Leopold ; Robert returned with his father two years later to celebrate the opening of the railway between Brussels and Ghent . By agreement with the L&BR, Robert was not permitted to work on any other engineering project while
8510-522: The pope appointed Bishop Wiseman as the first English Roman Catholic Cardinal since the Reformation ; Robert wrote in a private letter that this was aggressive, saying that in the "battle as to the mere form in which the creator is to be worshiped – the true spirit of Christianity is never allowed to appear." He later voiced strong opposition to the Crimean War but supported
8625-493: The public to be licensed by the state. Licensure is obtained by meeting specified education, examination, and work experience requirements. Specific requirements vary by state. Typically, licensed engineers must graduate from an ABET -accredited university or college engineering program with a minimum of bachelor's degree, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE), obtain several years of engineering experience under
8740-610: The rails 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) apart, as this was the gauge of the railway at the Killingworth Colliery. Isambard Kingdom Brunel , chief engineer to the Great Western Railway , had adopted the 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) or broad gauge , arguing that this would allow for higher speeds. Railways built with the different gauges met for the first time at Gloucester in 1844, and although an inconvenience to passengers, this became
8855-631: The railway companies. The Britannia Bridge was built for the Chester & Holyhead Railway to cross the Menai Strait from Wales to the island of Anglesey . The bridge needed to be 1,511 feet (461 m) long, and the Admiralty insisted on a single span 100 feet (30 m) above the water. Problems during the launch of the wrought-iron steamship Prince of Wales meant that she fell with her hull not supported for 110 feet (34 m), but
8970-471: The railway opened on 27 September 1825. On 18 June 1824, Stephenson sailed on the Sir William Congreve from Liverpool for South America with a contract for three years. At that time Colombia and Venezuela had not been independent of Spain for long, and they were both part of the same republic, Gran Colombia . The area's natural resources were attracting some British investors, including
9085-402: The railway was being built, but he was permitted to act as consultant. The Stephenson valve gear was developed in 1842 by Stephenson employees in Newcastle. The six-coupled Stephenson long-boiler locomotive design was developed into a successful freight locomotive but was unsuitable for sustained high speeds. The Stanhope and Tyne Railroad Company (S&TR) had been formed in 1832 as
9200-611: The route for the Norwegian Trunk Railway from Oslo (then Christiania) to Lake Mjøsa was surveyed, and Robert became chief engineer. Bidder stayed on as resident engineer, Robert returning in 1851, 1852 and 1854. In August 1852 Robert travelled to Canada to advise the Grand Trunk Railway on crossing the St Lawrence River at Montreal. The 8,600-foot (2,600 m) Victoria Bridge had
9315-488: The route of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and then attended classes at Edinburgh University between October 1822 and April 1823. On 23 May 1823, a second S&DR act of Parliament, the Stockton and Darlington Railway Act 1823 ( 4 Geo. 4 . c. xxxiii), received royal assent with the Stephensons' deviations from the original route and permission for the use of "loco-motives or moveable engines". In June 1823
9430-441: The route such as Primrose Hill Tunnel shortly after leaving London and Kilsby Tunnel , the last major tunnel before Birmingham. Supporting arches, which had not been budgeted or planned for, were required along their lengths to resist the pressure of the surrounding earth but at Watford the surrounding chalk was strong enough that no such arches were needed. The original tunnel is 1 mile 55 yards (1.7 kilometres) long and
9545-435: The same fields as civil engineers do elsewhere. This degree is equivalent to a Master of Civil Engineering and is obtained after five or six years of study depending on the school granting the title. The first Spanish Civil Engineering School was the Escuela Especial de Ingenieros de Caminos y Canales (now called Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos ), established in 1802 in Madrid, followed by
9660-433: The scene as showing the scale of the engineering work—"In places, the building of the railway reshaped the landscape and Bourne is at pains to demonstrate how big an undertaking this was". The south portal of the original tunnel was designated a Grade II listed building in 1983, a status which provides legal protection from unauthorised demolition or modification in recognition of historic and architectural value. In 2016,
9775-404: The ship he was on sank in another storm. Everyone was saved, but Stephenson lost his money and luggage. He noticed that one second-class passenger was given priority over first-class passengers in the lifeboats: the captain later said privately that he and the passenger were Freemasons and had sworn an oath to show such preference to each other in times of peril. Stephenson was impressed and became
9890-506: The side of the cutting at Tring. Remembering that Thomas Telford had cut through similar ground at Dunstable , Robert left with Gooch in post-chaise that night, and arrived at the cutting at dawn to find it the same angle he had proposed. He returned and was in the company solicitor's office at 10 am. That year the bill passed through the Commons but was defeated in the Lords . After
10005-522: The slipway into riverside mud, but continued without an overcoat until the end of his visit. The following day he was confined to his bed for two weeks with bronchitis . In late 1858, Robert sailed with some friends to Alexandria, where he stayed on board Titania or at Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo. He dined with his friend Brunel on Christmas Day before returning to London, arriving in February 1859. He
10120-630: The southern section of the line, 20 July 1837, until 14 October 1837, also whenever the stationary engine or rope were stopped for repairs, then for Mail Trains from November 1843, and entirely from 15 July 1844, without any real increase in the power of the locomotives. The reason given by Lecount for the rope working was the London and Birmingham Railway Act 1833, by which he said they were 'restricted ... from running locomotive engines nearer London than Camden Town.' The L&BR opened ceremonially on 15 September 1838. Construction had taken four years and three months, but had cost £5.5 million against
10235-509: The supervision of a licensed engineer, then pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam . After completing these steps and the granting of licensure by a state board, engineers may use the title "Professional Engineer" or PE in advertising and documents. Most states have implemented mandatory continuing education requirements to maintain a license. The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) represents more than 150,000 members of
10350-515: The survey of the S&DR George had been persuaded, mainly by the Scottish engineer Robert Bald , that Robert would benefit from a university education. George could have afforded to send his son to a full degree course at Cambridge but agreed to a short academic year as he wished that Robert should not become a gentleman but should work for his living. Robert first helped William James to survey
10465-492: The title may cause confusion to the English speaker as the Belgian "civil" engineer can have a speciality other than civil engineering. In fact, Belgians use the adjective "civil" in the sense of "civilian", as opposed to military engineers. The formation of the civil engineer has a strong mathematical and scientific base and is more theoretical in approach than the practical oriented industrial engineer ( Ing. ) educated in
10580-441: The tunnel and killing ten workers. A hole dug from the top of the hill to retrieve the bodies was later converted into a ventilation shaft. Watford was the only tunnel on the London and Birmingham where the contractor was able to complete the works without the railway company's direct intervention (in several other cases contractors ran out of money before completing the works) and was relatively simple in comparison to other tunnels on
10695-481: The way to Rainhill, and Cyclops , powered by two horses in a frame, was not a serious entry. Challenging Rocket was Novelty , built by John Ericsson and John Braithwaite in London, and Sans Pareil , built at the Shildon railway works by Timothy Hackworth , the locomotive supervisor of the S&DR. On 8 October at 10:30 am Rocket started its 70-mile (110 km) journey forwards and backwards across
10810-450: Was Robert that did most of the work; that same year Robert joined the Institution of Civil Engineers as a member. There were two surveys in 1830–31 which met opposition from landowners and those who lived in market towns on the coach route that would be bypassed. Robert stood as the engineering authority when a bill was presented to Parliament in 1832, and it was suggested during cross-examination that he had allowed too steep an angle on
10925-421: Was allowed to run. She burnt fuel at more than three times the rate of Rocket before her boiler ran dry. Novelty was tried again the following day, was withdrawn after a joint failed again, and Rocket was declared the winner. The L&MR purchased Rocket and ordered four similar locomotives from Robert Stephenson & Co. before the end of October. Four more similar locomotives followed, before Planet
11040-518: Was already seriously ill following a stroke and died the following day. Robert rallied, but died on 12 October 1859. He was three years older than Brunel. By 1850 Stephenson had been involved in the construction of a third of England's railway system. He designed the High Level Bridge and Royal Border Bridge on the East Coast Main Line . With Eaton Hodgkinson and William Fairbairn he developed wrought-iron tubular bridges, such as
11155-619: Was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives . The only son of George Stephenson , the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of his father. Robert has been called the greatest engineer of the 19th century. Stephenson's death was widely mourned, and his funeral afforded marks of public honour. He is buried in Westminster Abbey . Robert Stephenson was born on 16 October 1803, at Willington Quay , east of Newcastle upon Tyne , to George Stephenson and Frances ( née Henderson), usually known as Fanny. She
11270-410: Was built to carry two tracks. It is 24 feet (7.3 metres) wide, 25 feet (7.6 metres) tall, and lined with red brick. It has ornamental portals at each end in the form of rusticated ashlar arches with decorative voussoirss and a large pediment . It has a ventilation shaft near the centre. When the railway line was triple-tracked in 1858, a third track was laid between the existing two tracks. The line
11385-511: Was built to take coal from the Long Lane colliery to Leicester , and Stephenson was appointed engineer. Robert Stephenson & Co. supplied Planet type locomotives, but these were found underpowered and were replaced in 1833. On 18 September 1830 George Stephenson & Son signed a contract to survey the route for the London and Birmingham Railway . George recommended the route via Coventry , rather than an alternative via Oxford , but it
11500-703: Was decorated in Belgium with the Knight of the Order of Leopold , in France with the Knight of the Legion of Honour and in Norway with the Knight Grand Cross of the order of St Olaf . He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1849 . A later fellow of the society was Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell , who was Stephenson's godson and named after him. Stephenson also served as President of
11615-606: Was delegated to inexperienced and underpaid men. Soon after he had returned from America, Robert took over responsibility for overseeing the construction of the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway , and this opened on 3 May 1830 with a locomotive similar to Rocket called Invicta , supplied by Robert Stephenson & Co. He was also responsible for two branches of the L&MR, the Bolton & Leigh and Warrington & Newton railways. The Leicester & Swannington Railway
11730-502: Was delivered on 4 October 1830 with cylinders placed horizontally under the boiler. Hackworth was building Globe at the Robert Stephenson & Co. works at the same time, and Edward Bury delivered Liverpool the same month, both with cylinders under the boiler. It has been alleged that Stephenson copied Hackworth or Bury; he later said he had no knowledge of Liverpool at the time he was designing Planet . John Bull ,
11845-575: Was developed at Newton-le-Willows . George Stephenson & Son had been created on the last day of 1824, when Robert was in South America, with the same partners as Robert Stephenson & Co. Formed to carry out railway surveys and construction, George and Robert were both listed as chief engineers and responsible for Parliamentary business, and the list of assistant engineers included Joseph Locke , John Dixon , Thomas Longridge Gooch and Thomas Storey . The company took on too much work that
11960-521: Was divided into two main degrees. In the first case, the earned degree was called Ingeniero Técnico de Obras Públicas ( ITOP ), literally translated as "Public Works Engineer" obtained after three years of study and equivalent to a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. In the second case, the academic degree was called Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (often shortened to Ingeniero de Caminos or ICCP ), that literally means "Highways, Canals and Harbors Engineer", though civil engineers in Spain practice in
12075-613: Was first sent to a village school 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) away in Long Benton . George had received little formal education but was determined that his son would have one and so sent the eleven-year-old Robert to be taught at the Percy Street Academy in Newcastle. Robert became a member of the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society and borrowed books for him and his father to read. In
12190-580: Was given royal assent in 1845, included a high level road and rail bridge across the Tyne at Newcastle and the Royal Border Bridge across the Tweed at Berwick. The High Level Bridge is 1,372 feet (418 m) long and 146 feet (45 m) high and made from cast-iron bows held taut by horizontal wrought-iron strings. The first train crossed the Tyne on a temporary wooden structure in August 1848;
12305-504: Was given permission by the Queen to pass through Hyde Park , an honour previously reserved for royalty. Two thousand tickets were issued, but 3000 men were admitted to the service at Westminster Abbey , where he was buried beside the great civil engineer Thomas Telford . Ships on the Thames , Tyne , Wear and Tees placed their flags at half mast. Work stopped at midday on Tyneside , and
12420-606: Was ill that summer, but sailed to Oslo in the company of George Parker Bidder to celebrate the opening of the Norwegian Trunk railway and to receive the Knight Grand Cross of the order of St. Olaf . He fell ill at the banquet on 3 September and returned to England on board Titania in the company of a doctor, but the journey took seven days after the yacht ran into a storm. As Robert landed in Suffolk, Brunel
12535-607: Was not a limited company , shareholders were liable for the debt. Fearing financial ruin Robert sought the advice of Parker, the insolvent railway company was dissolved on 5 February 1841 and a new limited company, the Pontop and South Shields Railway, was created to take over the line, Robert contributing £20,000. The southern section from Stanhope to Carrhouse was sold to the Derwent Iron Company at Consett. The Great North of England Railway opened in 1841 to York with
12650-402: Was persuaded to present a defence that the cast-iron girder could only have fractured because the tender had derailed from a broken wheel. Robert was supported by expert witnesses such Locke, Charles Vignoles , Gooch and Kennedy, and a verdict of accidental death was returned. Robert never used long cast-iron girders again, and a Royal Commission was later set up to look at the use of cast iron by
12765-542: Was quadruple-tracked in the 1870s which required the construction of a parallel tunnel and accompanying cuttings to the east of the existing one. The new tunnel opened in 1874. It again had decorative portals, though plainer than the original. They again took the form of arches but this time in brick. The railway historian Gordon Biddle considered the newer portals to have a "fortress-like appearance [...] in strong contrast to its delicately classical neighbour". The tunnels now have two lines each. John Cooke Bourne illustrated
12880-812: Was sold to the Bolton and Leigh Railway . Several similar locomotives with four or six wheels were built in the next two years, one being sent to the US for the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company . As well as working at the locomotive works, Robert was also surveying routes for railways and advised on a tunnel under the River Mersey . In March 1828 Robert wrote to a friend saying he had an attraction to Broad Street in London as Frances (Fanny) Sanderson lived there. Robert and Fanny had known each other before he had gone to South America, and after calling on her soon after returning he had an invitation from her father to be
12995-606: Was twelve years older than George, and when they met she was working as a servant where George was lodging. After marrying, George and Fanny lived in an upper room of a cottage; George worked as a brakesman on the stationary winding engine on the Quay, and in his spare time he cleaned and mended clocks and repaired shoes. In 1804, George became a brakesman at the West Moor Pit, and the family moved to Killingworth . Fanny's health deteriorated, and she died on 14 May 1806. Robert
13110-478: Was undamaged. Robert was inspired by this and with William Fairbairn and Eaton Hodgkinson designed a wrought-iron tubular bridge large enough for a train to pass through. They experimented with models in 1845 and 1846 and decided to use similar design on the 400-foot (120 m) Conwy Bridge to gain experience. The first Conwy tube was floated into position in March 1848 and lifted the following month, allowing
13225-400: Was worked by a stationary engine at Camden − trains from Euston were drawn up by rope, whereas carriages would descend under gravity. The oft repeated statement that the rope-working was necessary because locomotives of the period were insufficiently powerful was denied in 1839 by Peter Lecount, one of the assistant engineers. In fact the incline was worked by locomotives from the opening date of
#585414