Thomas Parker (11 July 1829 – 25 November 1903)[1] was Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway from 1886–1893.
Parker was born in Ayrshire in 1829, and began his career as an apprentice at the Greenock works of the Caledonian Railway.
He was one of the first to construct 6-wheeled bogie coaches, and in 1885 he produced one of the first dining car designs in Britain.
[1] In 1886, he replaced Charles Reboul Sacre as locomotive, wagon and carriage superintendent.
[2] The continuous vacuum brake and internal communication cord were introduced by the railway, gaining Board of Trade approval in 1893.