Daniel Gooch

1816-1889. Locomotive Engineer and Manager.

1816 Daniel Gooch was born in Bedlington, Northumberland, on 24th August. As a young boy Gooch met George Stephenson and, as soon as he was old enough, he became an engineer at the the locomotive factory owned by Edward Pease and Robert Stephenson, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

1837 Aged twenty-one, Gooch was appointed locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway and soon took advantage of the broad gauge favoured by Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was the the company's chief engineer, as his locomotives were much faster than those previously made. Gooch's locomotives could haul a large load at 60 mph (96 kph). Gooch designed 340 locomotives in all and these included the Great Western and the Iron Duke.

1864 Daniel Gooch worked for the Great Western Railway for twenty-seven years, but resigned in 1864 to concentrate on developing telegraphic communication. Gooch became chairman of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Co (Telcon) and director of the Anglo-American Telegraph Co.

1865 In the General Election Daniel Gooch became MP for Cricklade. Later that year, when the Great Western Railway got into financial difficulties, he agreed to resume chairmanship and the company's profits soon returned. As chairman of the company her fully supported Brunel's proposal to build the steamship, the Great Western.

1885 On leaving Parliament, Gooch continued as chairman of the Great Western Railway.

1889 Daniel Gooch died at Clewer Park, Berkshire on 15th October, and was buried in St. Andrews Church, Clewer, near Windsor.

Best-known works -
- Locomotive Assistant to Isambard Kingdom Brunel at GWR from 1837-64
- Laid out the original Swindon Works
- Designed locomotives Firefly 1840, Great Western 1846 and heavy 4-4-0ST design for use west of Exeter.
- Left GWR in 1864 to supervise laying of Atlantic cable but returned the next year as Chairman until his death

Sources of Information