Wilhelm Engerth

Wilhelm Freiherr von Engerth (26 May 1814 – 4 September 1884) was an Austrian architect and engineer, known for being the designer of the first practical mountain locomotive.

From 1834 Engerth studied at Vienna - firstly architecture and then mechanical engineering - and then went to Galicia as an architect, where he was soon entrusted with a lot of work.

He designed a tender locomotive for the Semmering railway (Semmeringbahn) which met the requirements so well that, since then, his Engerth system has found many uses.

In 1850 Engerth was nominated as the technical director (Rat) on the executive board for railways, and later took over the Department of Engineering in the Austrian Ministry of Trade.

He worked with great circumspection (Umsicht) on the organisation of technical studies in Austria and was one of the most enthusiastic proponents of regulating the Danube river.