Henry Edward Cusack facts for kids

Henry Edward Cusack (1865-1954) was a very important engineer who designed and managed trains. He worked as the Locomotive Superintendent for the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) in Ireland.

Early Life and Career

Henry Edward Cusack was born on November 6, 1865, in Dublin, Ireland. He went to school at Clifton College in Bristol, England. His family had strong connections to the railway! His father, Sir Ralph Smith Cusack, was the Chairman of the MGWR for many years, from 1865 to 1905. His brother-in-law also held a high position as Deputy Chairman.

After finishing school, Henry trained as an engineer. He spent four years learning at Kitson and Company in England. Then, he worked for two more years at Crewe, which was a famous railway town. In 1890, he returned to Ireland and started working for the MGWR as a junior draughtsman. This meant he helped draw plans for trains.

Henry quickly moved up in his career. When the main engineer, Martin Atock, decided to retire, Henry Edward Cusack was chosen as one of the top assistants. He became the Chief Mechanical Engineer for the MGWR in 1905 and held this important job until 1915. He was in charge of designing and building all the locomotives (train engines) and carriages for the railway.

Designing Trains and Carriages

Henry Edward Cusack played a big role in bringing new types of trains to the MGWR. He took over from his predecessor, Martin Atock, and continued to improve the railway's engines.

New Locomotives

One of the first trains designed during his time was the MGWR Class A. This was a very large train for Ireland in 1902. It was a "4-4-0" type, which means it had four small wheels at the front, four large driving wheels in the middle, and no wheels at the back.

Later, in 1909, a slightly smaller "4-4-0" train called the MGWR Class C was introduced. Henry Cusack also worked on the MGWR Class B goods 0-6-0. This was a powerful engine designed to pull heavy freight (goods) trains. The "0-6-0" means it had no small wheels at the front or back, but six large driving wheels in the middle. It's thought that another engineer, W. H. Morton, helped Cusack a lot with the practical design ideas for these trains.

Royal Train and Passenger Coaches

Henry Cusack was also responsible for designing a very special train: the Royal Train. This train was prepared for the visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1903. It had a luxurious 12-wheel carriage, which was said to be the most fancy and comfortable in all of Ireland!

Besides royal trains, he also designed coaches for regular passenger trains. In 1900, he designed the carriages for the MGWR's "limited mail" express train. His train carriage designs often had a unique roof shape. The top part was mostly flat, but the sides curved down very tightly. This made his coaches easy to spot!