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Kevin Jones' Steam Index

Professor William Ernest Dalby

Note quite by chance another William Ernest Dalby was "discovered": he is included at the bottom of this page.

According to Obituary in Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs., 1936, 130, 547 Dalby had been an engineering apprentice from the age of fourteen at Stratford Works under W. Adams. He was born in 1862.. In 1883 he was awarded a Whitworth Scholarship. In 1884 he moved to Crewe Works as chief assistant to H. Bridgewater, head of the permanent way department, under whom he brought out new designs for all types of points and crossovers in use. He was also responsible for the maintenance of the company’s three creosoting and chair-fixing works. Whilst holding this position he graduated at the University of London.
In 1891 he was appointed assistant to Professor Ewing, who was establishing an engineering department at Cambridge University. For his work in this connection, Professor Dalby was in 1894 awarded the degree of M.A. honoris causa by the University. Two years later he was appointed Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics at the City and Guilds Technical College at Finsbury, a position which he held until 1904, when the University of London appointed him Professor of Engineering at the Central Technical College, now known as the City and Guilds Engineering College. In 1906 he also became Dean of the College. His teaching was marked by close attention to the practical side, and he was frequently consulted by railway companies on problems connected with locomotive balancing and the resistance of trains. He was a member of the Bridge Stress Committee instituted in 1923 by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and contributed one of the appendixes to the report, dealing with the hammer blow of locomotives.
Dalby is an extraordinary omission from the ODNB (clearly they are unable to see significance of an FRS!). His bibliography, notably on locomotive balancing is extensive (BLPC), and he was Nock's professor whilst he was at College. Dalby's style was severe and demanding of both staff and students, but he was highly respected in the College and by the wider engineering and educational community (Imperial College Centenary website). He retired due to ill health in 1931 and died at his home in Ealing on 25 June 1936 (Who Was Who). He was an FRS from 1913: there is a Memoir: Google FRS and Dalby. (Nature obituary). Obituary in Locomotive Mag., 1936, 42, 233 notes his secret work for military during WW1 Assisted Gresley on design of water tube high pressure compound locomotive. Locomotive Mag., 1930, 36, 1.
Valves and valve gear mechanisms. available as e-book [originally published by Edward Arnold in 1906 and 1919: not in Ottley].
Locomotive machinery. [Lectures presented at City and Guilds Technical Institute in 1898] Locomotive Mag., 1898, 3, 31.

William Brown's Hush-hush throws up correspondence between Gresley and Dalby on the development of the high pressure boiler fitted to No. 10000

The balancing of engines. London, Edward Arnold, 4th ed. 1929.
The indicator as an aid to economy. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs., 1920, 101, 681-2. Disc.: 681-4.

William Ernest Dalby (2)
Born in Torquay on 19 August 1874. Educated at Lincoln Grammar School and Aldenharn Grammar School, Herts. In 1892 he began a five year apprenticeship with Marshall, Sons and Co., Gairisborough, and on its comipletion he became partner in tlie general engineering firm of Thompson & Dalby, at Frome, Someraet. Three yenrs later he erilisted in the Wiltshirc Yeornanry on the outbreak of the Boer War, and served two years, receiving a medal with four bars. In 1902 he returned to England and entered the drawing ofice and works of the Great Northern Railway as draughtsman and fitter. In the following year he was engaged in the Running Department, subsequently being appointed assistant district locomotive superintendent at Colwick, near Nottingham. In 1905 he was transferred to take charge of the Hornsey steam-shed under the London District Superintendent, and from there to the Grantham District in 1907. In July 1913 he was made West Riding District Locomotive Superintendent with headquarters at Ardsley, where he was unfortunately knocked down by a locomotive in August 1914, and badly injured. His death took place at Babbacombe, South Devon, on 7 December 1918.

2019-07-14