Lacey Robert Johnson
Lacey Robert Johnson (1855-1915) of the Canadian Pacific Railway
1916 Obituary [1]
LACEY ROBERT JOHNSON was born at Abingdon, Berks, on 22nd June 1855.
He served his time from June 1870 to December 1875 in the Locomotive Works of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, and on its completion be worked in the drawing-office for six months.
He was next engaged as foreman of mechanics at Woolwich Arsenal, and later as fitter and erector until 1878, when he was appointed manager of Messrs. G. Davis and Son's engine works in London, and later at their new works at Abingdon.
In September 1879 he went to India as draughtsman on the Scinde, Punjaub and Delhi Railway, and subsequently became foreman of machine and erecting shops. His health having suffered from the climate, he left India in March 1882 and entered the service of the Grand Trunk Railway at Montreal, as draughtsman.
Six months later he was appointed foreman of the Canadian Pacific Railway shops at Carleton Junction, Ontario, which position he held until December 1885, when he became assistant master mechanic of the Lake Superior Division of the same railway.
In the following year he was promoted to the post of master mechanic of the Pacific Division at Vancouver, and on the initiation of the Transpacific service his jurisdiction was extended over the engineering department of the steamships, during which time he spent three winters in Hong Kong, superintending alterations and repairs to the Company's vessels.
From April to September 1901, on the purchase of the Canadian Pacific Navigation Co. by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., he acted as Superintending Engineer of the combined fleets, which position was severed from the locomotive and car department.
In September 1901 he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Motive Power of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Montreal, and retained that post until July 1912, when he became General Superintendent of the Angus Shops District, Montreal.
In March 1915 he was appointed General Welfare Agent of the same railway at Montreal, but did not long hold the post, as his death took place after a short illness on 17th April 1915, in his sixtieth year.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1891; he was also a Member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers.