Thomas Harrison the Man

[52D]

Due to researches lately i have kept on coming up on Thomas Harrison he seems to be a mostly overlooked Character in the early history of Railways in general and the North East in particular. Was a biography ever written about him?
I have met him at an inquest after the death of William Stephenson at Willington when he does not come across very well and yet at other places such as the braking trials and other safety related issues he comes across very well i would like to know a lot more about him.

[52A]

I am sure I have seen a book about him, I shall do a bit more digging.

[redtoon1892]

The best I can offer is a publication that has been metioned here several times.
The High Level Bridge & Newcastle Central Station - 150 years across the Tyne.
By John Addyman & Bill Fawcett £9.95 ISBN 1 873513 28 3
This is an excellent professional publication and I am sure many on here will agree to that.
It can be obtained from Waterstones book stores or Amazon.

I can add a little which is not in the book as far as I can see, the stone for the Central Station and most of John Dobson's Newcastle, Grey St etc were quarried and dressed at Tate Brown & Sons, Heworth Burn Quarries, Heworth, Felling on Tyne.
Until recently we lived in an apartment on Grey St next to the monument.
When I was a boy we lived behind the main quarry which was still in production up until the mid 60s. Both the main quarries are now land filled, one is the local cricket ground and the other the cemetery.
Another book I can recommend concerns the Bowes Railway and rope worked waggonways. The Bowes Railway by Colin E Mountford IBSN 0 90 1096 26 1 it is now out of print but good copies can be obtained via Flea Bay.

This is my reply to Richards post.
Thomas Harrison, the railway engineer mentioned in the text is buried in Whitburn cemetery behind Cricket Lodge, his first wife is buried on his right and his second wife on his left in a family plot.

[52A]

Author Addyman, John
Title Thomas Elliot Harrison, 1808-1888 founder and engineer of the North Eastern Railway John Addyman and Bill Fawcett
Publisher Rocket
Year 2008

It can be ordered here.

http://www.ice-northeast.org.uk/northea ... n%2009.pdf

Or Here

http://www.robertstephensontrust.com/page3.html

[redtoon1892]

An article in the I.C.E. newsletter regarding the man.
http://www.ice-northeast.org.uk/northea ... n%2009.pdf

[redtoon1892]

A little more info.


http://www.steamindex.com/people/harrison.htm