William Buddicom

William Barber Buddicom (1 July 1816–4 August 1887) was a British mechanical and civil engineer best known for his pioneering achievements in innovating and expanding railway and locomotive transport through Europe during the mid 19th century.

He was educated at home until, aged fifteen, Buddicom became apprenticed to Mather, Dixon and Company, where he trained for 5 years to become a railway engineer.

[3] Buddicom focused his attention on reorganising the company and reducing operating expenses including fuel economy, which was not without controversy (ibid.).

[4] The board of the Grand Junction Railway evidently recognised Buddicom's strong grasp of both technical and commercial matters, prompting them to offer him the roles of secretary and managership of the company but he and Locke had other ideas.

They began by modifying existing French-made engines before adapting Buddicom's successful Crewe-type, assembled by local French workers under license from Britain.

Buddicom built 40 locomotives from his Petit-Quevilly plant between 1841 and 1843, including 120, 2nd class coaches and 200 wagons, all destined for the new Paris to Rouen line being constructed by Locke.

Opening up new lines in Normandy (Le Havre, Fécamp, Mantes, Caen, Cherbourg) required a new larger plant, which Buddicom commissioned in Sotteville-lès-Rouen in 1844.

The poor state of France's railways hindered aid efforts around the country, focusing attention on foreign rail technicians and assets.

These hot irons had a wonderful effect, and though torches were lit, and bottles containing spirits of turpentine were prepared to quicken the fire, the idea was abandoned, thanks to the exertions of the workpeople…[8]Despite the obvious danger to Buddicom himself, he remained in France with his workers at Rouen and ran a skeleton operation during the uprising, albeit now armed for his own protection.

He expanded his operations, commencing with a new joint enterprise with Basile Parent[12][circular reference] (1807–1866) and Thomas Brassey (1805–1870) to connect Lyon with Geneva through a 4-kilometre tunnel, which was an extraordinary engineering achievement.