Railways On Line - Railway Engineers = Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell

Railways On Line - Railway Engineers = Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell
Railway Engineers - Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell

Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell (1868-1944)

He was a pupil of Henry Ivatt at the Great Southern & Western of Ireland's Inchicore works. In 1891 he joined the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, gaining experience in workshops, drawing office and running sheds. In 1894 he became assistent locomotive superintendent, East India Railway before returning to Inchicore as works manager in 1896. He was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer, South Eastern & Chatham Railway in 1913, where he built up a design team with Pearson and Holcroft from Swindon, and Clayton from Derby, who developed modern 2-6-0 and 2-6-4 tank locomotives and radically improved existing 4-4-0 passenger locomotives. The team, with the addition of Lionel Lynes for carriage design, continued during Maunsell's spell as CME, Southern Railway, 1923-37. Oliver Bulleid became CME when he retired.
His locomotive and other designs included:

The former London & South Western Urie 4-6-0s were greatly improved to form standard types

The Schools class three-cylinder 4-4-0s, which were very successful

Heavy four-cylinder 4-6-0 and 0-6-0 freight locomotives

The N15X 4-6-0s which were rebuilt from the ill-fated Billington Class L 4-6-4 Tanks.
Modern and comfortable main-line and electric multiple unit stock.

The capital demands of electrification restricted steam locomotive modernization, the civil engineer rejecting his proposed four-cylinder 4-6-2 and three-cylinder 2-6-2 types. Ashford and Eastleigh works were remodelled and line production methods introduced.

Last revised: 26 February 1999