Wellington A Purdon recounts the construction of... Woodhead's first tunnel
Wellington A Purdon recounts the construction of… Woodhead’s first tunnel
Driving the headings/excavation & lining
About the author
About the author
Born on 24th May 1815 in Killucan, about 40 miles west of Dublin, Wellington Arthur Purdon was educated at home until the age of 18, after which he attended the Dublin Society’s School of Drawing in Architecture. On returning home, he learned the techniques of surveying and soon found work with engineer Charles Vignoles. In 1838, at the age of 23, he was employed as surveyor on the Sheffield Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway, lodging in Longdendale with Thomas Nicholson, a railway inspector involved in the construction of Woodhead Tunnel.
On Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s behalf, he carried out a Parliamentary survey for a line to Porthdinllaen in North Wales. It was never built. But in 1846, after marrying Elizabeth Atwell in Middlesex, Brunel appointed him as resident engineer to the Waterford Wexford Wicklow & Dublin Railway. He was active in Ireland for the next eight years, completing surveys for the extension of the Cork & Bandon Railway as well as undertaking work on the Belfast & Armagh Railway’s extension to Clones. 1856 saw Purdon travel to India where he acted for Brunel on the engineering of the East Bengal Railway.
On his return, he set up a partnership with William Bourne Lewis with whom he worked on a number of Irish projects. 1871 saw Purdon produce a report on the introduction of a tram system in Dublin and he acted as its engineer through the Parliamentary stages. Retirement came in 1880. Following a short illness, Purdon died in London on 14th February 1889, aged 73.
Driving the headings/excavation & lining
About the author