1. Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid CBE was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.
20 Facts About Oliver Bulleid
1. 2.
Oliver Bulleid was born in Invercargill, New Zealand, to William Bulleid and his wife Marian Pugh, both British immigrants.
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Oliver Bulleid was able to travel widely in Europe, later including a trip with Nigel Gresley, William Stanier and Frederick Hawksworth, to Belgium, in 1934, to see a metre-gauge bogie locomotive.
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The First World War intervened; Oliver Bulleid joined the British Army and was assigned to the rail transport arm, rising to the rank of Major.
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Oliver Bulleid brought Bulleid back to Doncaster to be his assistant.
6.
Between 1949 and 1952, a further 26 of Oliver Bulleid's amended version of these locomotives were delivered and later became British Rail Class 12.
7.
Oliver Bulleid thought that steam engines should get nearer to the internal combustion engine, which enclosed the working parts and used pump lubrication to keep it all running smoothly.
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Oliver Bulleid played a major role in the electrification of the SR, including infrastructure, electric multiple units and electric locomotives.
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Oliver Bulleid designed the bodies for the two electric locomotives CC1 and CC2 in 1941 and 1945.
10.
The Leader was innovative but unsuccessful; after Oliver Bulleid had left British Railways, the project was cancelled.
11.
Oliver Bulleid had responsibility for coaching stock, an area in which he had an active interest.
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Oliver Bulleid designs built on the best of the existing designs, while making improvements, and his coaches were known for their comfort and spaciousness.
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Oliver Bulleid was briefly the CME of British Railways Southern Region.
14.
In February 1950, Oliver Bulleid was appointed CME of Coras Iompair Eireann, the nationalised transport authority of the Republic of Ireland, having been a consulting engineer to CIE since 1949.
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Oliver Bulleid led the first major dieselisation programme, which involved the procurement of diesel multiple units from AEC of Southall, 94 Crossley-engined diesel locomotives from Metropolitan-Vickers and 12 Sulzer-engined diesel locomotives from the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company.
16.
Oliver Bulleid was elected president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers for 1946.
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Oliver Bulleid was president of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers and of the Institute of Welding, and was elected to the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers.
18.
Oliver Bulleid was appointed CBE in the 1949 New Year Honours.
19.
Oliver Bulleid retired in 1958, moving to Belstone in Devon, then Exmouth.
20.
Oliver Bulleid was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Bath in 1967.