W. R. Galbraith
Encyclopedia
William Robert Galbraith (7 July 1829 – 5 October 1914) was a civil engineer
in the United Kingdom
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was employed by the London and South Western Railway
as a consulting engineer for over 40 years, overseeing the design and construction of nearly all that company's new lines between 1862 and his retirement in 1907.
In 1892 he formed an engineering consultancy with R.F. Church. As Galbraith & Church they undertook numerous projects for other railways besides the LSWR, including the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway which became known as London Underground's
Bakerloo Line
. In total he designed and oversaw the construction of over 14 miles of London's underground railways). In the 1890s Galbraith was the North British Railway's
Parliamentary Consultant, acting as a resident expert and adviser during Parliamentary hearings on the company's engineering projects).
His projects include:
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was employed by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
as a consulting engineer for over 40 years, overseeing the design and construction of nearly all that company's new lines between 1862 and his retirement in 1907.
In 1892 he formed an engineering consultancy with R.F. Church. As Galbraith & Church they undertook numerous projects for other railways besides the LSWR, including the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway which became known as London Underground's
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
Bakerloo Line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
. In total he designed and oversaw the construction of over 14 miles of London's underground railways). In the 1890s Galbraith was the North British Railway's
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
Parliamentary Consultant, acting as a resident expert and adviser during Parliamentary hearings on the company's engineering projects).
- Kew railway bridge across the River ThamesRiver ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, built in 1864-1869 by the London and South Western Railway - Newport Pagnell to Wolverton Branch Railway, W.R. Galbraith was director from 1871 and was mentioned in the 1870 Act of ParliamentAct of ParliamentAn Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
which authorised the building of the line as one of the creditors of the railway - Meldon railway viaductViaductA viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
, built in 1874 by the London and South Western Railway across the West Okement river valley near OkehamptonOkehamptonOkehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:... - The Swanage Branch Line, opened in 1885
- Hockley Railway ViaductHockley Railway ViaductThe Hockley Railway Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct to the south of Winchester in Hampshire, England.-History:The viaduct, originally called the Twyford Viaduct, was built in the 1880s by the London and South Western Railway . It provided a link over the River Itchen and water meadows, from...
as part of the Winchester Cheshill branch of the LSWR in 1891. - The modernisation and expansion of SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
Docks following their purchase by the LSWR in 1892. - The Waterloo & City LineWaterloo & City LineThe Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
in London, opened 11 July 1898. - The Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway, opened in 1901
- The Meon Valley RailwayMeon Valley RailwayThe Meon Valley Railway was a cross-country railway in Hampshire, England that ran for between Alton and Fareham, closely following the course of the River Meon. At its northern end, it joined with the Mid-Hants Railway to Winchester, the Alton Line to Brookwood and the Basingstoke and Alton...
, built between 1898 and 1903. - The Bakerloo Line, built between 1898 and 1906
- CalstockCalstockCalstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
railway viaduct across the Tamar valley, built ca. 1908