Michael Lane (engineer)

He eventually succeeded that Brunel as the railway's Chief Engineer, serving in the position for nearly eight years before his death.

Born in Shadwell, London,[1] Lane began his career in 1825 working on the construction of the Thames Tunnel in nearby Wapping, under Sir Marc Brunel and his son Isambard.

Brunel reluctantly agreed, but urged the directors to take good care of Lane: "I hope that any expectations of future advancement he may have formed will be as fully realised as I feel sure yours will be by his usefulness.

"[4] Lane returned to the GWR in January 1841 to work as an assistant to the Resident Engineer of the railway's western division.

He moved to the Hull Docks in 1842 where he worked as Resident Engineer before rejoining the GWR in August 1845, holding various posts with the company over the subsequent fourteen years.