Thomas Russell Crampton

Thomas Russell Crampton, MICE, MIMechE (6 August 1816 – 19 April 1888) was an English engineer born at Broadstairs, Kent, and trained on Brunel's Great Western Railway.

He is best known for designing the Crampton locomotive but had many engineering interests including the electric telegraph and the Channel Tunnel for which he designed a boring machine. His locomotives had much better success in France, Germany and Italy than they did in the UK.

Personal life Born to John and Mary Crampton of Prospect Cottage (in what is now Dickens Walk), Broadstairs, on 6 August 1816, Crampton was the son of a plumber and architect. They had 8 children, six boys and two girls. The eldest girl, Ada Sarah, died aged 4 on 16 February 1857. and Crampton gifted a stained glass window in St. Peter's church, Broadstairs in her memory. Their youngest daughter, Louisa, was to marry Sir Horace Rumbold, the Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Great Western Railway 1839-43 Crampton worked as assistant to Marc Brunel and on joining the GWR in 1839, then Daniel Gooch. Crampton was involved in the design of the "Firefly" class of locomotives.

One locomotive Crampton designed had an indirect drive arrangement, with a crankshaft between the driving wheels. This locomotive had a 2-2+2-2 wheel arrangement. In 1854, Crampton became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and in 1855 he was responsible for the building of the Berlin waterworks. In 1856, Crampton was appointed to the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle. but, unlike Peto and Betts, managed to retain his good reputation and continue in business.

Railway lines constructed Crampton was, wholly or partly, responsible for the railway lines built between Smyrna and Aidin; Varna and Rustchuk; Strood and Dover; Sevenoaks and Swanley; and Herne Bay and Faversham. The latter three lines being built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). Crampton was a partner in the Mont Cenis Pass Railway

Electric telegraph Crampton was responsible for the laying of the first international submarine cable in the world. This was laid in the Strait of Dover in 1851.

Channel Tunnel Crampton designed an automatic hydraulic tunnel boring machine, which was intended to be used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Modern drilling techniques were made possible by this invention. He left six sons and one daughter, who married Sir Horace Rumbold, ambassador at Vienna.