John George Robinson CBE, (30 July 1856 – 7 December 1943) was an English railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Central Railway from 1900 to 1922.

Early life Born at Newcastle upon Tyne, the second son of Matthew Robinson, a locomotive engineer, and his wife Jane, Robinson was educated at the Chester Grammar School, and in 1872 commenced an engineering apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works, as a pupil of Joseph Armstrong. In 1878 he became assistant to his father Matthew Robinson at Bristol, and in 1884 joined the Waterford and Limerick Railway (which became the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway in 1896) as their locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent. He was promoted to superintendent the following year.

Great Central Railway

In 1900 Robinson joined the Great Central Railway as locomotive and marine superintendent and in 1902 was appointed chief mechanical engineer. He remained in that post until 1922, when prior to the Great Central's grouping into the London and North Eastern Railway he declined the post of chief mechanical engineer of the LNER, choosing instead to step aside for the younger Nigel Gresley. Robinson was awarded a CBE in 1920.

Robinson's first passenger locomotive design for the GCR was Class 11B (LNER Class D9) 4-4-0, of which 40 were built between 1901 and 1904, the last being withdrawn by British Railways in 1950. Robinson followed in 1913 with the larger Class 11E (LNER D10) "Director" Class 4-4-0 locomotive, which was used on GCR express trains from London Marylebone to Sheffield Victoria and Manchester London Road. Ten were built, followed by eleven "Improved Director" (GCR Class 11F, LNER Class D11) locomotives during 1920–1924.

Robinson's famous GCR Class 8K 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive was introduced in 1911 and many more were built for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers in 1917. Some of these reliable locomotives, of which over 400 were built, remained in service with the LNER and later British Railways until 1966.

Locomotive classes credited to Robinson

Waterford and Limerick Railway Year Type Nos. GSWR Class GSWR Nos. GSR Class Inchicore Class Withdrawn Notes 1888–93 0-6-0 WLR 5 to 7 224 224 to 226 — — 1905–1909 1889–94 2-4-0 WLR 10, 22, 20, 23, 43, 44, 47, and 48 276 263, 275, 273, 276, 290 to 293 276 G3 1907–1959 1891 2-4-2T WLR 13 and 14 266 226 and 227 267491 F4F5 1933–1935 226 sold to CMDR 6 in 1913; to GSR 491 in 1925 1892 0-4-2T WLR 3 260 260 — — 1912 1893 0-6-0 WLR 45, 46, 49, and 50 233 233 to 236 235 J22 1911–1951 1894 0-4-4T WLR 15 268 268 — — 1912 1895 0-4-4T WLR 51 and 52 294 294 and 295 295 E2 1910–1954 1896–97 4-4-2T WLWR 16 to 18, and 21 269 269 to 271, 274 269 C5 1949–1957 1896–97 4-4-0 WLWR 53 to 55 296 296 to 298 296 D15 1928–1949 1897 0-6-0 WLWR 56 to 58 237 237 to 239 222 J25 1934–1951 1899 0-4-4T WLWR 27 279 279 279 E1 1953 1900 0-6-0 WLWR 2, 4, 11 222 222 222 J25 1929–1950 4 and 11 sold before delivery to MGWR 141 and 142 Introduced Wheel Arrangement Purpose Notes 1889 2-4-0 Express Passenger 1891 2-4-2T Passenger Tank for Limerick and Tralee line, 2 in class 1895 0-4-4T Tank Engine for Limerick, Ennis and Tuam Line, 2 in class 1896 4-4-2T Tank Engine 4 in class 1896 4-4-0 Express Passenger for Waterford to Limerick boat trains, 3 in class 1899 0-6-0 Standard Goods Engine 8 in class

Great Central Railway Introduced Wheel Arrangement GCR Class LNER Class Purpose Notes 1901 0-6-0 9J J11 Goods Engine "Pom-poms" 1901 4-4-0 11B D9 Express Passenger 1902 4-6-0 8 B5 Express Goods "Fish Engines" 1902 0-8-0 8A Q4 Heavy Goods "Tinies" 1903 4-4-2 8B C4 Express Passenger two-cylinder 'simple' "Atlantics", the "Jersey Lillies" 1903 4-6-0 8C B1 (B18 from 1943) Express Passenger 1903 4-4-2T 9K C13 Suburban Passenger 1905-06 4-4-2 8D C5 Express Passenger 3-cylinder 'compound' "Atlantic" 1906 4-4-2 8E C5 Express Passenger 8D with modified frames 1906 0-6-0T 5A J63 Dock Tank 1906 4-6-0 8F B4 Express Mixed Traffic "Imminghams" 1906 4-6-0 8G B9 Express Goods 1907 4-4-0 11C D9 Express Passenger Large-boiler rebuild of two 11Bs 1907 4-4-2T 9L C14 Suburban Passenger 1907 0-8-4T 8H S1 Hump Shunting Tank for Wath Yard "Daisies" 1908 4-4-2 8J - Express Passenger 3-cylinder 'simple' "Atlantic" rebuilt from 8B, 'de-rebuilt' 1922 1909 4-4-0 11D D9 Express Passenger Large-boiler piston-valve rebuild of an 11B 1911 4-6-2T 9N A5 Suburban Passenger Tank "Coronation Tank" 1911 2-8-0 8K O4 Heavy Goods "R.O.D." 1912 4-6-0 1 B2 (B19 from 1945) Express Passenger "Sir Sam Fay" 1913 4-6-0 1A B8 Express Goods "Glenalmonds" 1913 4-4-0 11E D10 Express Passenger "Directors" 1914 2-6-4T 1B L1 (L3 from 1945) Heavy Goods Tank 1917 4-6-0 9P B3 Express Passenger "Lord Faringdon" 4-cylinder 1918 2-8-0 8M O5 Heavy Goods large-boilered 8K 1918 4-6-0 8N B6 Fast Mixed Traffic 1919 4-4-0 11F D11 Express Passenger "Improved Director" 1921 4-6-0 9Q B7 Fast Mixed Traffic "Black Pig" 4-cylinder

Preserved Robinson locomotives

Two Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in the UK: 4-4-0 Improved Director GCR Class 11F No. 506 Butler–Henderson (Later BR No. 62660), which is preserved at the National Railway Museum, York, and currently on display at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire 2-8-0 GCR Class 8K No. 102 (Later BR No. 63601), also owned by the National Railway Museum is on loan to the Great Central Railway (preserved) at Loughborough. It is currently (2008) operational and used on demonstration goods trains. Three Robinson-designed locomotives are preserved in Australia 2-8-0 ROD ROD 1984 (later J & A Brown No. 20) preserved by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum 2-8-0 ROD ROD 2003 (later J & A Brown No. 24) this loco was actually built by the GCR at Gorton Works and is preserved by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum 2-8-0 ROD ROD 2004 (later J & A Brown No. 23) this loco was actually built by the GCR at Gorton Works and is preserved by the Richmond Vale Railway Museum

Notes

Bibliography

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Robinson, John George by George W. Carpenter

External links Robinson 2-8-0 John G. Robinson at www.lner.info John George Robinson, William Rowland and R.A. Thom at steamindex.com