August von Borries
Encyclopedia
August Friedrich Wilhelm von Borries (1852–1906) was one of Germany's most influential railway engineers, who was primarily concerned with developments in steam locomotive
s.
Von Borries graduated from the Royal Institute of Trade in Charlottenburg
, and then spent a year working at the Bergisch-Märkische railway. In 1875 he joined the service of the Hanover
division of the Prussian state railways
and subsequently became their Chief Mechanical Engineer
. In 1880 he designed the first Prussian compound locomotive
, built by Schichau
in Elbląg
. This showed significant fuel savings. His work on compound locomotives was done in collaboration with the British engineer Thomas William Worsdell
and the two men obtained several British patents together . The 1880 locomotive was a two-cylinder compound but, in 1899, he designed a four-cylinder compound locomotive. Another innovation was the use of nickel
steel
for boiler
s in 1891.
In 1902 he left the Prussian state railways and took a professorship of Railway Engineering at the Technical University of Charlottenburg.
He wrote widely on locomotive matters, including a textbook on locomotives.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s.
Von Borries graduated from the Royal Institute of Trade in Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
, and then spent a year working at the Bergisch-Märkische railway. In 1875 he joined the service of the Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
division of the Prussian state railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
and subsequently became their Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
. In 1880 he designed the first Prussian compound locomotive
Compound locomotive
A compound engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages.A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure cylinder, then having given up heat and losing pressure, it exhausts directly into one or more larger...
, built by Schichau
Schichau-Werke
The Schichau-Werke was a German engineering works and shipyard based in Elbing, formerly part of the German Empire, and which is today the town of Elbląg in northern Poland. It also had a subsidiary shipyard in Danzig .-Early years:...
in Elbląg
Elblag
Elbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
. This showed significant fuel savings. His work on compound locomotives was done in collaboration with the British engineer Thomas William Worsdell
Thomas William Worsdell
Thomas William Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer. He was born in Liverpool into a Quaker family.-Family:...
and the two men obtained several British patents together . The 1880 locomotive was a two-cylinder compound but, in 1899, he designed a four-cylinder compound locomotive. Another innovation was the use of nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
for boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s in 1891.
In 1902 he left the Prussian state railways and took a professorship of Railway Engineering at the Technical University of Charlottenburg.
He wrote widely on locomotive matters, including a textbook on locomotives.
Sources
- Die Eisenbahn-Betriebsmittel. Theil 1. Die Lokomotiven, bearb. von: August F. W. von Borries. Kreidel, Wiesbaden 1897 (Die Eisenbahn-Technik der Gegenwart, Band 1). Nachdruck: Bufe, München 1982
- Biografie: Götz von Borries: Die Geschwister von Borries. Fouqué Literaturverlag, Egelsbach/Frankfurt 1998, ISBN 3-8267-4225-7
- Marshall, John, A Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers, David and Charles 1978, pp 226–227, ISBN 0-7153-7489-3