Everard Calthrop
Encyclopedia
Everard Richard Calthrop (3 March 1857 – 30 March 1927) was a British railway engineer
and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow gauge railways, especially of gauge
, and was especially prominent in India. His most notable achievement was the Barsi Light Railway
; however he is best known in his home country for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
. Later in life he took an interest in aviation
, patenting some early designs for parachutes
.
, general manager of the London & North Western Railway. The family lived at Deeping Fen
, Lincolnshire
, where Calthrop was born, and later at Sutton
in the Isle of Ely
. Calthrop was educated at Uppingham School
.
Calthrop started work with Robert Stephenson & Co
and then was apprenticed to the London & North Western Railway at Crewe
in 1874. In 1879 he joined the Great Western Railway
, where he rose to assistant manager of the Carriage and Wagon Works. In 1882 he went to India to join the Great Indian Peninsula Railway as a locomotive
inspector.
Once in India, Calthrop came to see narrow gauge railways as a way to help develop the country. This led him to chairing a Government committee to investigate light railways throughout India. He then published a pamphlet entitled A System of Standard Details as applied to the Construction of Rolling Stock in India. As a result of this pamphlet, the Indian Government adopted systems of uniformity of gauge and equipment throughout the country, and eventually adopted gauge as the standard narrow gauge throughout the country.
Calthrop requested leave in 1886 to investigate proposals for independent branchlines. He identified two schemes of particular interest, a 5 miles (8 km) tramway connecting the Hindu
religious centre of Nasik with the railway, and a 21 miles (33.8 km) branchline to the town of Barsi. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway approved both schemes, and Calthrop undertook a survey of both lines. In 1887 he registered the Indian Railways Feeder Lines Company in London to promote the construction of feeders to the railway. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway suggested that he either return to his duties as a locomotive inspector, or, with their support, resign to further promote branch lines. His health was failing, and so in 1889 Calthrop resigned from the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Working as a consultant he then supervised the construction of the gauge horse-powered Nasik Tramway, using his previous survey.
, where three of his brothers had started a stockfeed
company. Soon Calthrop had entered into a partnership with them and spent much of the next two years designing equipment for feed production. He took out a number of patent
s relating to the equipment and to refrigerated transport.
While Calthrop was resident in Liverpool the Chamber of Commerce
was concerned future expansion was being limited by the railway companies that linked that city with Manchester
, and invited proposals for alternative methods for moving goods. Calthrop proposed a system of narrow gauge railways linking the two cities, running along streets directly serving factories. His proposal was highly commended, but the proposed street running precluded its adoption.
Calthrop was also interested in road transport. He was a member of the Self-Propelled Traffic Association and in May 1898 was a judge at their trials for "motor vehicles for heavy traffic", held in Liverpool. The winner was a Thornycroft
4-ton steam wagon
. Later he was a foundation member of the Royal Automobile Club
.
on the axle
s of all rolling stock
, including locomotives, could be equal, allowing a maximum loading of goods wagons. He settled on a loading of 5 tons per axle, which was light enough to allow railway lines to be built with 30 pounds
per yard
(14.9 kg/metre) rail
. It also allowed the loading of one 20 ton capacity 4-wheel standard gauge wagon to be carried on a single bogie narrow gauge wagon. Further, he argued that using a track gauge of gave the greatest capacity as a percentage of capital cost. He estimated a 2' 6" gauge railway could be built to four times the length of a standard gauge railway for the same capital cost.
Calthrop had been engaged in negotiations with the Indian government for concessions to build a railway from Barsi Road to Barsi since 1887. In 1895 negotiations reached a satisfactory conclusion, and Calthrop formed a new company to build the Barsi Light Railway
, and employed himself as consulting engineer. The railway became a showcase for his ideas. Five 0-8-4T locomotives, with even distribution of axle load, were constructed to Calthrop's specification by Kitson & Co.
The goods rolling stock was constructed on common 25 by 7 ft (7.6 by 2.1 ) pressed steel underframes, reducing tare weight
and maximising potential wagon loads. Calthrop recognised the importance of railways in warfare, and designed the rolling stock to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment. Rolling stock rode on pressed-steel Fox bogies, using the Timmis system of double coiled springs
. The line was constructed with rail inclination, then a new idea, which involves tilting the rail a few degrees to make its surface more nearly parallel with that of the tyre. Inclination is now applied universally to railways.
Prior to shipment of the rolling stock to India, Calthrop and the Leeds Forge Company
, manufacturer of the rolling stock, conducted tests on a specially built test track located at Newlay, near Leeds
. The line was opened for inspection by railway officials and journalists, and a number of reports were published in the technical railway press.
The Barsi Light Railway opened in 1897, and was extended on a number of occasions until it reached a total length of 202 miles (325.1 km) in 1927. The example of the Barsi Light Railway is regarded as having revolutionised the narrow gauge railway system of Indian subcontinent, and the railway was immensely successful, establishing Calthrop as one of the leading figures in the field. Calthrop remained Consulting Engineer until he retired due to ill health two years prior to his death. The Barsi Light Railway continued to be operated as a privately owned railway until 1954 when it was purchased by the Indian government, and continued to operate as a narrow gauge railway until conversion to broad gauge
began in the late 1990s as part of Indian Railways
conversion program for all metre and narrow gauge lines.Marshall, Lawrence C., 2001 Indian Narrow Gauge Steam Remembered Plateway Press, East Harling
to St Andrew, Barbados
. By 1897 the railway and its rolling stock was in very poor condition. Further much of the railway had been constructed with rail too light for the railway's locomotives. A new company was established in 1898 to rebuild and operate the railway. and Calthrop was engaged as consulting engineer. Calthrop arranged for the railway to be rebuilt in gauge, and had Baldwin Locomotive Works
build four new locomotives, two 2-8-2T's, an 2-6-0T and an 0-6-0T.
on 3–4 August 1897 and spoke particularly on the proposed open level crossings and the use of transporter wagons. Calthrop claimed it only took 3 minutes to transfer wagons, based on his experience on the Barsi Light Railway. However the Order was not made until 8 September 1899 and in early 1900 the proprietors reached agreement with the Cambrian Railways
to build the line. Their engineer, Alfred J. Collins, took charge of the engineering requirements, with consequent conservative 4-wheel wagons and other provisions.
, Australia, regarding proposals for the construction of narrow gauge lines
in that colony. Subsequently on his advice the gauge of the railways as built was changed from to .
ian light railway, construction of which began in 1898. The railway comprised seven, mostly roadside, branch lines with a total length of 97 miles (156.1 km). The Fayoum Light Railway
served an irrigation district south of Cairo
, centred on the provincial capital of Medinet-el-Fayum. Calthrop used pictures of rolling stock from the railway to illustrate a chapter he wrote for the book Pioneer Irrigation and Light Railways.
was a 12.3 miles (19.8 km) long standard gauge branch line linking the Great Western Railway at Cleobury Mortimer
in Shropshire
with mineral deposits in the Clee Hills
. Calthrop was appointed Consulting Engineer in 1900, responsible for surveying the route and preparing the construction plans.
. The line had been promoted under the Light Railways Act
, and the initial plan was to build a railway of gauge to be powered by electricity
. Under the influence of one of the Light Railway Commissioners the company directors commissioned a report on the proposed line from Calthrop in mid-1900. In early December the railway's engineer died, and on 19 December 1900 the Directors sat down to consider both a replacement and Calthrop's report. Calthrop proposed specifications for the line which would result in substantial savings in construction costs, and so he was offered the position of engineer, which he promptly accepted.
Calthrop constructed the line for £35,944, £11,000 less than the original estimate. He had Kitson & Co construct two 2-6-4T locomotives, similar in outline but smaller than the Barsi Light Railway locomotives. Goods rolling stock included four coaches, two bogie
open wagons and one bogie van, once again similar to Barsi stock. He also introduced four transporter wagon
s, designed to transport standard gauge
wagons. Each station on route had a short section of standard gauge track where the wagons could be placed. The use of transporter wagons eliminated transshipment, and removed the need for large numbers of goods wagons.
The Matheran Light Railway
is a mountain railway near Mumbai
, India, and opened in 1905. Unusually for a railway for which Caltrhrop was consulting engineer, it was of gauge, with tight curves and 1 in 20 (5%) grades. Calthrop designed a 0-6-0T with Klein-Linder
articulated coupled axles to provide a flexible wheelbase, and four were supplied by Orenstein & Koppel.
and Maungdaw
in Burma, later known as the Arakan Light Railway. Calthrop had the gauge changed from to . For this railway Calthrop had built two 0-6-0+0-6-0 Garratt
locomotives, to which he had attached plates reading "E.R.Calthrop's System of Narrow Gauge Mountain Railways". Calthrop was an early adopter of the Garratt type, this being the ninth order for Garratts taken by Beyer-Peacock
, and the smallest Garratt design ever built by them.
, of Rolls-Royce
fame. Rolls was a pioneer aviator, being the first man to fly across the English Channel
in both directions. On 12 July 1910 Calthrop accompanied him to the Bournemouth International Aviation Meeting, and was present when Rolls died after he lost control of his biplane
and crashed. That and a similar, non-fatal, accident involving his son Tev, led Calthrop to believe that a parachute could be used to save pilots in similar circumstances.
In 1913 he patented his first parachute
. As World War I
progressed he continued to develop his parachute. In 1915 he offered it to the Royal Flying Corps
, and successful tests were completed at the time. An unofficial report offered the opinion that parachutes "might impair the fighting spirit of pilots" and the offer was rejected. Calthrop was encouraged to remain quiet about his invention, but faced with increasing losses of pilots he publicised the parachute in 1917. Despite a campaign by some pilots, the Royal Flying Corps declined to introduce parachutes during World War One, although air forces of most other nations did so.
Calthrops "Guardian Angel" parachute received much praise and was used during the war to drop agents behind enemy lines. By 1918 it was known that the Germans were fully aware of Calthrop's work, and supplied their pilots with a similar design. However when the Royal Air Force finally adopted parachutes after the war, they chose an American design.
In 1916 Calthrop also patented an ejector seat
for aircraft using compressed air
.
, while Keith, after a stint in the Royal Engineers went on to become Assistant General Manager and Mechanical Engineer of the Barsi Light Railway, a post he held until 1932.
Calthrop had a great interest in breeding Arabian horse
s. Following the long-term rental of a villa in Goldings Road, Loughton
, Essex, he purchased a permanent home, Goldings, at Clays Lane in Loughton
, with stables and 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of grounds. It was here that he bred his horses and developed his theories of horse training. Calthrop rejected the cruel methods of breaking horses common in that era, and practiced gentle methods. Such was the his concern for his horses that he had them humanely destroyed rather than have them commandeered by the British army at the start of the First World War. After the war he was able to return to his horses, and wrote an authoritative book, The Horse, as Comrade and Friend, published in 1920. Calthrop was a prominent member of the Arab Horse Society, and received commendations for his stallion, Fitz, at its first show in 1919.
Developing and promoting his parachute had left Calthrop drained, both financially and physically. Failing health forced him to resign his position as consulting engineer for the Barsi Railway in 1925, although he remained a director. Calthrop died at his Paddington, London, home on 30 March 1927, in the company of his son, Tev. He was seventy years old.
Calthrop is commemorated by a blue plaque
on Goldings, unveiled in June 2008.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow gauge railways, especially of gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
, and was especially prominent in India. His most notable achievement was the Barsi Light Railway
Barsi Light Railway
The Barsi Light Railway was a -long, -gauge railway in western India. It was the brainchild of British engineer Everard Calthrop, and regarded as having revolutionised narrow gauge railway construction in India.-History:...
; however he is best known in his home country for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
. Later in life he took an interest in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, patenting some early designs for parachutes
Parachutes
Parachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
.
Early life and career
Calthrop was born on 3 March 1857, the eldest son of farmer Everard Calthrop. He had 6 brothers, one of whom was Sir Guy CalthropGuy Calthrop
Sir Calthrop Guy Spencer Calthrop, 1st Baronet was a British railway manager.Born in Uppingham, Rutland, his brother was Everard Calthrop, railway engineer. He entered the London and North Western Railway as a Cadet at the age of 16 in 1886. In 1892 he was appointed outdoor assistant to the...
, general manager of the London & North Western Railway. The family lived at Deeping Fen
Deeping Fen
Deeping Fen is a low-lying area in Lincolnshire in the east of England, which covers around . It is bounded by the River Welland and the River Glen, and is extensively drained, but the efficient drainage of the land exercised the minds of several of the great civil engineers of the 17th and 18th...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, where Calthrop was born, and later at Sutton
Sutton-in-the-Isle
Sutton-in-the-Isle, commonly referred to simply as Sutton, is a parish and village in the county of Cambridgeshire in England, near the city of Ely. The "in-the-Isle" suffix refers to the fact that the village is part of the Isle of Ely, once an island in The Fens and also an administrative county...
in the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
. Calthrop was educated at Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
.
Calthrop started work with Robert Stephenson & Co
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
and then was apprenticed to the London & North Western Railway at Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
in 1874. In 1879 he joined the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, where he rose to assistant manager of the Carriage and Wagon Works. In 1882 he went to India to join the Great Indian Peninsula Railway as a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
inspector.
Once in India, Calthrop came to see narrow gauge railways as a way to help develop the country. This led him to chairing a Government committee to investigate light railways throughout India. He then published a pamphlet entitled A System of Standard Details as applied to the Construction of Rolling Stock in India. As a result of this pamphlet, the Indian Government adopted systems of uniformity of gauge and equipment throughout the country, and eventually adopted gauge as the standard narrow gauge throughout the country.
Calthrop requested leave in 1886 to investigate proposals for independent branchlines. He identified two schemes of particular interest, a 5 miles (8 km) tramway connecting the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious centre of Nasik with the railway, and a 21 miles (33.8 km) branchline to the town of Barsi. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway approved both schemes, and Calthrop undertook a survey of both lines. In 1887 he registered the Indian Railways Feeder Lines Company in London to promote the construction of feeders to the railway. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway suggested that he either return to his duties as a locomotive inspector, or, with their support, resign to further promote branch lines. His health was failing, and so in 1889 Calthrop resigned from the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Working as a consultant he then supervised the construction of the gauge horse-powered Nasik Tramway, using his previous survey.
Move to Liverpool
Returning to the United Kingdom in 1892 Calthrop established a railway engineering consulting practice in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, where three of his brothers had started a stockfeed
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
company. Soon Calthrop had entered into a partnership with them and spent much of the next two years designing equipment for feed production. He took out a number of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s relating to the equipment and to refrigerated transport.
While Calthrop was resident in Liverpool the Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
was concerned future expansion was being limited by the railway companies that linked that city with Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and invited proposals for alternative methods for moving goods. Calthrop proposed a system of narrow gauge railways linking the two cities, running along streets directly serving factories. His proposal was highly commended, but the proposed street running precluded its adoption.
Calthrop was also interested in road transport. He was a member of the Self-Propelled Traffic Association and in May 1898 was a judge at their trials for "motor vehicles for heavy traffic", held in Liverpool. The winner was a Thornycroft
Thornycroft
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...
4-ton steam wagon
Steam wagon
A steam wagon is a steam-powered road vehicle for carrying freight. It was the earliest form of lorry and came in two basic forms: overtype and undertype – the distinction being the position of the engine relative to the boiler...
. Later he was a foundation member of the Royal Automobile Club
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
.
Development of narrow gauge concepts and the Barsi Light Railway
During his time in India Calthrop developed his ideas on the construction of narrow gauge railways. He surmised that the axle loadAxle load
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle...
on the axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s of all rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
, including locomotives, could be equal, allowing a maximum loading of goods wagons. He settled on a loading of 5 tons per axle, which was light enough to allow railway lines to be built with 30 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
per yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
(14.9 kg/metre) rail
Rail profile
The rail profile is the cross sectional shape of a railway rail, perpendicular to the length of the rail.In all but very early cast iron rails, a rail is hot rolled steel of a specific cross sectional profile designed for use as the fundamental component of railway track.Unlike some other uses of...
. It also allowed the loading of one 20 ton capacity 4-wheel standard gauge wagon to be carried on a single bogie narrow gauge wagon. Further, he argued that using a track gauge of gave the greatest capacity as a percentage of capital cost. He estimated a 2' 6" gauge railway could be built to four times the length of a standard gauge railway for the same capital cost.
Calthrop had been engaged in negotiations with the Indian government for concessions to build a railway from Barsi Road to Barsi since 1887. In 1895 negotiations reached a satisfactory conclusion, and Calthrop formed a new company to build the Barsi Light Railway
Barsi Light Railway
The Barsi Light Railway was a -long, -gauge railway in western India. It was the brainchild of British engineer Everard Calthrop, and regarded as having revolutionised narrow gauge railway construction in India.-History:...
, and employed himself as consulting engineer. The railway became a showcase for his ideas. Five 0-8-4T locomotives, with even distribution of axle load, were constructed to Calthrop's specification by Kitson & Co.
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
The goods rolling stock was constructed on common 25 by 7 ft (7.6 by 2.1 ) pressed steel underframes, reducing tare weight
Tare weight
Tare , from the Middle French word tare "wastage in goods, deficiency, imperfection" , from Italian tara, from Arabic tarah, lit. "thing deducted or rejected," from taraha "to reject" weight, sometimes called unladen weight, is the weight of an empty vehicle or container...
and maximising potential wagon loads. Calthrop recognised the importance of railways in warfare, and designed the rolling stock to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment. Rolling stock rode on pressed-steel Fox bogies, using the Timmis system of double coiled springs
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
. The line was constructed with rail inclination, then a new idea, which involves tilting the rail a few degrees to make its surface more nearly parallel with that of the tyre. Inclination is now applied universally to railways.
Prior to shipment of the rolling stock to India, Calthrop and the Leeds Forge Company
Leeds Forge Company
The Leeds Forge Company manufactured corrugated furnaces for marine boilers and later, pressed steel railway vehicles, in Leeds, England.- Early history :The company was founded by Samson Fox, who was born in Bradford in 1838...
, manufacturer of the rolling stock, conducted tests on a specially built test track located at Newlay, near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. The line was opened for inspection by railway officials and journalists, and a number of reports were published in the technical railway press.
The Barsi Light Railway opened in 1897, and was extended on a number of occasions until it reached a total length of 202 miles (325.1 km) in 1927. The example of the Barsi Light Railway is regarded as having revolutionised the narrow gauge railway system of Indian subcontinent, and the railway was immensely successful, establishing Calthrop as one of the leading figures in the field. Calthrop remained Consulting Engineer until he retired due to ill health two years prior to his death. The Barsi Light Railway continued to be operated as a privately owned railway until 1954 when it was purchased by the Indian government, and continued to operate as a narrow gauge railway until conversion to broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
began in the late 1990s as part of Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
conversion program for all metre and narrow gauge lines.Marshall, Lawrence C., 2001 Indian Narrow Gauge Steam Remembered Plateway Press, East Harling
Involvement in other railways
With the success of the Barsi Light Railway, Calthrop was in demand as a consultant for other narrow gauge railway projects.Barbados Railway
The Barbados Railway opened in 1883 as a gauge railway from BridgetownBridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
to St Andrew, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. By 1897 the railway and its rolling stock was in very poor condition. Further much of the railway had been constructed with rail too light for the railway's locomotives. A new company was established in 1898 to rebuild and operate the railway. and Calthrop was engaged as consulting engineer. Calthrop arranged for the railway to be rebuilt in gauge, and had Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
build four new locomotives, two 2-8-2T's, an 2-6-0T and an 0-6-0T.
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
Calthrop appeared at the Light Railway Inquiry for the Welshpool and Llanfair Light RailwayWelshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway in Powys, Wales. The line is around long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion. The track gauge is ....
on 3–4 August 1897 and spoke particularly on the proposed open level crossings and the use of transporter wagons. Calthrop claimed it only took 3 minutes to transfer wagons, based on his experience on the Barsi Light Railway. However the Order was not made until 8 September 1899 and in early 1900 the proprietors reached agreement with the Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
to build the line. Their engineer, Alfred J. Collins, took charge of the engineering requirements, with consequent conservative 4-wheel wagons and other provisions.
Victorian Railways narrow gauge lines
In 1898 Calthrop corresponded with the government of the colony of VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia, regarding proposals for the construction of narrow gauge lines
Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways.- Background :A...
in that colony. Subsequently on his advice the gauge of the railways as built was changed from to .
Fayoum Light Railway
Calthrop was appointed to advise on engineering matters for this gauge EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian light railway, construction of which began in 1898. The railway comprised seven, mostly roadside, branch lines with a total length of 97 miles (156.1 km). The Fayoum Light Railway
Fayoum Light Railway
The Fayoum Light Railway was a gauge Egyptian light railway, construction of which began in 1898. It served an irrigation district south of Cairo, centred on the provincial capital of Medinet-el-Fayoum. The railway comprised 7, mostly roadside, branch lines with a total length of 97 miles. British...
served an irrigation district south of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, centred on the provincial capital of Medinet-el-Fayum. Calthrop used pictures of rolling stock from the railway to illustrate a chapter he wrote for the book Pioneer Irrigation and Light Railways.
Serbian Narrow Gauge Railways
Calthrop was one of several foreign concessionaires involved with the initial development of 760mm gauge railways in Serbia after 1898.Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway
The Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light RailwayCleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway
The Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway was a pre-grouping railway company that served part of south Shropshire.Everard Calthrop was appointed Consulting Engineer in 1900, responsible for surveying the route and preparing the construction plans, and the line opened in 1908...
was a 12.3 miles (19.8 km) long standard gauge branch line linking the Great Western Railway at Cleobury Mortimer
Cleobury Mortimer
Cleobury Mortimer is a small rural market town in Shropshire, England. The town's parish has a population of 1,962 according to the 2001 census. Although sometimes regarded as a village, it is in fact the second smallest town in Shropshire , having been granted a town charter in 1253.Several...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
with mineral deposits in the Clee Hills
Clee Hills
The Clee Hills are a range of hills in Shropshire, England near Ludlow, consisting of Brown Clee Hill , the highest peak in Shropshire, and Titterstone Clee Hill...
. Calthrop was appointed Consulting Engineer in 1900, responsible for surveying the route and preparing the construction plans.
Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
In the United Kingdom Calthrop is most associated with the Leek and Manifold Valley Light RailwayLeek and Manifold Valley Light Railway
The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was a narrow gauge railway in Staffordshire, Great Britain that operated between 1904 and 1934. When in operation, the line mainly carried milk from dairies in the region, acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger...
. The line had been promoted under the Light Railways Act
Light Railways Act 1896
The Light Railways Act 1896 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be obtained by the company that wished to construct it, which greatly added to the cost...
, and the initial plan was to build a railway of gauge to be powered by electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. Under the influence of one of the Light Railway Commissioners the company directors commissioned a report on the proposed line from Calthrop in mid-1900. In early December the railway's engineer died, and on 19 December 1900 the Directors sat down to consider both a replacement and Calthrop's report. Calthrop proposed specifications for the line which would result in substantial savings in construction costs, and so he was offered the position of engineer, which he promptly accepted.
Calthrop constructed the line for £35,944, £11,000 less than the original estimate. He had Kitson & Co construct two 2-6-4T locomotives, similar in outline but smaller than the Barsi Light Railway locomotives. Goods rolling stock included four coaches, two bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
open wagons and one bogie van, once again similar to Barsi stock. He also introduced four transporter wagon
Transporter wagon
A transporter wagon, in railway terminology, is a wagon or railroad car designed to carry other railway equipment. Normally, it is used to transport equipment of a different rail gauge...
s, designed to transport standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
wagons. Each station on route had a short section of standard gauge track where the wagons could be placed. The use of transporter wagons eliminated transshipment, and removed the need for large numbers of goods wagons.
Matheran Light Railway
Matheran Hill Railway
Matheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000...
is a mountain railway near Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India, and opened in 1905. Unusually for a railway for which Caltrhrop was consulting engineer, it was of gauge, with tight curves and 1 in 20 (5%) grades. Calthrop designed a 0-6-0T with Klein-Linder
Klein-Linder
Klein-Linder is a form of articulation for ordinary steam locomotives to make them more suitable for going around very sharp curves.- Examples :...
articulated coupled axles to provide a flexible wheelbase, and four were supplied by Orenstein & Koppel.
Arakan Light Railway
In 1910 Calthrop was engaged as consulting engineer by the promoters of a new railway between ButhidaungButhidaung
Buthidaung is a town in the Rakhine State of westernmost part of Myanmar. It is the administrative seat of Buthidaung Township. It lies on the west bank of Mayu river. Flood hit in July 2011.-External links:*...
and Maungdaw
Maungdaw
Maungdaw is a town in the Rakhine State of westernmost part of Myanmar. It it the administrative seat of Maungdaw Township and Maungdaw District.Since September 1995, border trade between Maungdaw of Myanmar and Teknaf of Bangladesh is formally established....
in Burma, later known as the Arakan Light Railway. Calthrop had the gauge changed from to . For this railway Calthrop had built two 0-6-0+0-6-0 Garratt
Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
locomotives, to which he had attached plates reading "E.R.Calthrop's System of Narrow Gauge Mountain Railways". Calthrop was an early adopter of the Garratt type, this being the ninth order for Garratts taken by Beyer-Peacock
Beyer-Peacock
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
, and the smallest Garratt design ever built by them.
Patents for parachutes
Calthrop was a close personal friend of Charles RollsCharles Rolls
Charles Stewart Rolls was a motoring and aviation pioneer. Together with Frederick Henry Royce he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in a flying accident, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display near Bournemouth,...
, of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
fame. Rolls was a pioneer aviator, being the first man to fly across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in both directions. On 12 July 1910 Calthrop accompanied him to the Bournemouth International Aviation Meeting, and was present when Rolls died after he lost control of his biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
and crashed. That and a similar, non-fatal, accident involving his son Tev, led Calthrop to believe that a parachute could be used to save pilots in similar circumstances.
In 1913 he patented his first parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
. As World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
progressed he continued to develop his parachute. In 1915 he offered it to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
, and successful tests were completed at the time. An unofficial report offered the opinion that parachutes "might impair the fighting spirit of pilots" and the offer was rejected. Calthrop was encouraged to remain quiet about his invention, but faced with increasing losses of pilots he publicised the parachute in 1917. Despite a campaign by some pilots, the Royal Flying Corps declined to introduce parachutes during World War One, although air forces of most other nations did so.
Calthrops "Guardian Angel" parachute received much praise and was used during the war to drop agents behind enemy lines. By 1918 it was known that the Germans were fully aware of Calthrop's work, and supplied their pilots with a similar design. However when the Royal Air Force finally adopted parachutes after the war, they chose an American design.
In 1916 Calthrop also patented an ejector seat
Ejector seat
In aircraft, an ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket motor, carrying the pilot with it. The concept of an eject-able escape capsule has also...
for aircraft using compressed air
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...
.
Private life
During his time in India, Calthrop made occasional trips back to Britain. On one such trip he married Isabel Mary Earle, the daughter of the Reverend Walter Earle, a friend of his parents. The wedding took place on 19 November 1890 at the Bilton Parish Church, Rugby. They had four children, Everard Earle (Tev, b. 1892), Keith de Suffield (b. 1894), Isabelle Iris (b. 1895), and Betty Marion (b. 1899). Tev joined the army and became a Colonel in the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, while Keith, after a stint in the Royal Engineers went on to become Assistant General Manager and Mechanical Engineer of the Barsi Light Railway, a post he held until 1932.
Calthrop had a great interest in breeding Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s. Following the long-term rental of a villa in Goldings Road, Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
, Essex, he purchased a permanent home, Goldings, at Clays Lane in Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
, with stables and 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of grounds. It was here that he bred his horses and developed his theories of horse training. Calthrop rejected the cruel methods of breaking horses common in that era, and practiced gentle methods. Such was the his concern for his horses that he had them humanely destroyed rather than have them commandeered by the British army at the start of the First World War. After the war he was able to return to his horses, and wrote an authoritative book, The Horse, as Comrade and Friend, published in 1920. Calthrop was a prominent member of the Arab Horse Society, and received commendations for his stallion, Fitz, at its first show in 1919.
Developing and promoting his parachute had left Calthrop drained, both financially and physically. Failing health forced him to resign his position as consulting engineer for the Barsi Railway in 1925, although he remained a director. Calthrop died at his Paddington, London, home on 30 March 1927, in the company of his son, Tev. He was seventy years old.
Calthrop is commemorated by a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
on Goldings, unveiled in June 2008.