Claude Verpilleux

He was involved in the design of early railway locomotives, and invented innovative steam-powered "grapple boats" driven by traction wheels running along the bed of the river or canal.

[2] On 15 August 1810 he began work at a daily salary of one franc at the Montjoint mines in Rive de Gier.

[3] One of the mine concessionaires, Fleurdelix, was struck by Verpilleux's activity and intelligence, and had him help install a British steam engine, which was not working satisfactorily.

[3] When he was aged twenty-two his employer lent him the money to open a workshop for repairing and improving the English machines that were being used in the mines of the district.

The Séguin company realized substantial savings, and entrusted Verpilleux with the wagons between Rive-de-Gier and Saint-Etienne for the next ten years.

[1] A "grapple wheel" 3.9 metres (13 ft) in diameter rolled along the bottom of the canal or river ahead of the boat.

[7] In 1844 the last section of the line from Rive-de-Gier to Saint Etienne was opened using Verpilleux's locomotive tenders, which were more powerful than those of Marc Seguin, totally eliminating horse-drawn railway wagons.

[10] On 16 February 1851 Verpilleux demonstrated a three-wheeled steam-driven car, which traveled by road between Rive-de-Gier and Saint-Etienne at a speed of up to 16 kilometres per hour (9.9 mph).

[9] On the Republican party's list Verpilleux was described as "a man who, from a simple workman, has by his work and his genius raised himself to the rank of the most skilled engineers in the country.