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Everard Richard Calthrop (3 March 1857 – 30 March 1927) was a British railway engineer and inventor. Calthrop was a notable promoter and builder of narrow gauge railways, especially of narrow gauge, and was especially prominent in India. His most notable achievement was the Barsi Light Railway; however he is best known in his home country for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. Calthrop has been described as a "railway genius".〔Bennett, Paul ''Pickled Passengers - The Narrow Gauge number 219''. Narrow Gauge Railway Society.〕 Later in life he took an interest in aviation, patenting some early designs for parachutes. ==Early life and career== Calthrop was born on 3 March 1857, the eldest son of farmer Everard Calthrop. He had six brothers, one of whom was Sir Guy Calthrop, general manager of the London & North Western Railway. The family lived at Deeping Fen, Lincolnshire, where Calthrop was born, and later at Sutton in the Isle of Ely. Calthrop was educated at Uppingham School.〔Hughes, Hugh 1994 ''Indian Locomotives Pt. 3, Narrow Gauge 1863-1940''. Continental Railway Circle.〕〔Gratton, Robert, 2005,''The Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway'', RCL Publications.〕 Calthrop started work with Robert Stephenson & Co and then was apprenticed to the London & North Western Railway at Crewe in 1874. In 1879 he joined the Great Western Railway, where he rose to assistant manager of the Carriage and Wagon Works. In 1882 he went to India to join the Great Indian Peninsula Railway as a locomotive inspector.〔〔Turner, Keith 1980, ''The Leak and Manifold Light Railway'', Newton Abbot, David & Charles.〕 Once in India, Calthrop came to see narrow gauge railways as a way to help develop the country. This led him to chairing a Government committee to investigate light railways throughout India. He then published a pamphlet entitled ''A System of Standard Details as applied to the Construction of Rolling Stock in India''. As a result of this pamphlet, the Indian Government adopted systems of uniformity of gauge and equipment throughout the country, and eventually adopted gauge as the standard narrow gauge throughout the country.〔 Calthrop requested leave in 1886 to investigate proposals for independent branchlines. He identified two schemes of particular interest, a tramway connecting the Hindu religious centre of Nasik with the railway, and a branchline to the town of Barsi. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway approved both schemes, and Calthrop undertook a survey of both lines. In 1887 he registered the Indian Railways Feeder Lines Company in London to promote the construction of feeders to the railway. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway suggested that he either return to his duties as a locomotive inspector, or, with their support, resign to further promote branch lines. His health was failing, and so in 1889 Calthrop resigned from the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Working as a consultant he then supervised the construction of the gauge horse-powered Nasik Tramway, using his previous survey.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Everard Calthrop」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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