Alexander McDonnell
Alexander McDonnell (1829-1904).
1865 Alexander McDonnell, Locomotive Engineer, Great Southern and Western Railway, Dublin.[1]
1880 Locomotive Superintendent, Great Southern and Western Railway
1904 Obituary [2]
ALEXANDER MCDONNELL was born in Dublin on 18th December 1829.
Having graduated with mathematical honours at Dublin University in 1851, he became a pupil of Mr. Charles Liddell of the firm of Messrs. Liddell and Gordon, Westminster; and on the completion of his training in 1855, he remained with the same firm until 1858. During this period he was engaged in a variety of railway work, chiefly on the Newport and Hereford Railway and the Taff Vale extension.
In 1858 he was appointed resident and locomotive engineer to the Newport and Hereford Railway as successor to Mr. Carr.
In 1860 the Newport and Hereford Railway became by amalgamation part of the West Midland Railway, and Mr. McDonnell remained with this latter railway until the end of 1861, when he retired.
In 1862 he was sent to Turkey by the Danube and Black Sea Railway Company to organise their locomotive department, and returned to England in the following year, having completed the work he was sent out to do.
In 1864 he was appointed locomotive engineer to the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland, which position he held until 1882. During this period he considerably developed the locomotive, carriage and wagon shops of the company at Inchicore, building all new locomotives, carriages and wagons required. He introduced a proper system of workshop accounts and standardized the locomotive stock. He also largely introduced stamping under the hammer.
In 1882 Mr. McDonnell was appointed locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway, which position he resigned in 1884.
After that he was connected with Sir William Armstrong's and the Maxim-Nordenfelt Companies for short periods, and was also engaged in consulting work in connection with which he twice visited Brazil and once Australia.
His death took place on 4th December 1904, at Holyhead, after a short illness, in his seventy-fifth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1865, and on several occasions took part in the discussions on locomotive engineering papers.
1905 Obituary [3]
ALEXANDER McDONNELL, M.A. (Dublin), third son of John NcDonnell, M.D., of Dublin, was born on the 18th December, 1829, and studied at Trinity College, graduating in Arts with mathematical honours in 1851.
He then became a pupil of Charles Liddell, of Westminster, for 3 years, remaining in the same service after completing his articles until 1858. With the exception of an interval spent in study at the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussees, Paris, he was engaged during this period in a variety of railway work, chiefly on the construction of the Newport and Hereford Railwa], to which, on its completion, he was appointed Resident Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent, continuing in this office after the line was amalgamated with the West Midland system.
At the end of 1861, he relinquished this appointment and proceeded to Turkey to organize the Locomotive Department of the Danube and Black Sea Railway, returning to England in 1863....(more)
1905 Obituary [4]
ALEXANDER M‘DONNELL died on December 4, 1904, after a short illness, at the age of seventy-five, having been born on December 18, 1829. He graduated with mathematical honours at Dublin University in 1851, and became a pupil of Mr. Charles Liddell, of the firm of Messrs. Liddell & Gordon, Westminster, with whom he remained until 1858. During this period he was engaged in a variety of railway work, chiefly on the Newport and Hereford Railway and the Taff Vale extension.
In 1858 he was appointed resident engineer and locomotive engineer to the Newport and Hereford Railway as successor to Mr. Carr.
In 1860 the Newport and Hereford Railway became, by amalgamation, part of the West Midland Railway, and Mr. M'Donnell remained with the West Midland Railway until the end of 1861, when he retired.
In 1862 Mr. M'Donnell was sent to Turkey by the Danube and Black Sea Railway Co. (the first railway in Turkey) to organise the locomotive department, and On his return he was, in 1864, appointed locomotive engineer to the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland, which position he held till 1882.
In 1882 Mr. M'Donnell was appointed locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway, which position he resigned in 1884. After that he was connected with Sir William Armstrong and Maxim Nordenfeldt for short periods, and was also engaged in consulting work, in connection with which he visited Brazil twice and Australia once.
He was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and was elected a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1883.