Jules Petiet (5 August 1813 – 29 January 1871) was a French mechanical engineer who worked on the early development of the French railway network. He was the Chief Engineer of the Chemins de Fer du Nord from 1845, and became a locomotive engineer from 1848.[1] From 1868 until his death, he was head of the prestigious engineering school École Centrale Paris, of which he was also a graduate.
Jules Petiet | |
|---|---|
 Jules Alexandre Petiet | |
| Born | 5 August 1813 |
| Died | 29 January 1871 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | French |
| Education | École Centrale Paris |
| Occupation | Mechanical Engineer |
| Employer | Chemins de Fer du Nord |
Petiet's name is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel tower. A street in Paris, rue Petiet (at Épinettes, 17th district) is named in his honour.
Locomotives
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Petiet expanded the fleet of Nord locomotives from 187 at his appointment in 1848 to 841 at his death in 1871.[2]
He designed a class of 0-8-0T locomotives known as Fortes Rampes; and built 20 even bigger 0-6-6-0 tank engines. Looking like a pair of 0-6-0s back-to-back, they had a long-rigid chassis.[3] They were not as powerful as anticipated, and Petiet's successor rebuilt them into forty 0-6-0T locomotives.[4]
He introduced the Crampton locomotive to the Nord (and France),[5] and developed an A3A (0-2-6-2-0) Crampton-style tank locomotive. Nicknamed "Camels", eight were built, but they soon were sold to the Nord's Belgian subsidiary Nord-Belge[6]
References
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- ^ Davies 1997, p. 2.
- ^ Davies 1997, pp. 2, 4.
- ^ Douglas Self. "Petiet's French Experiments". Unusual Locomotives.
- ^ Davies 1997, pp. 3, 20.
- ^ Davies 1997, p. 8.
- ^ Davies 1997, pp. 3, 16.
- Davies, John (January 1997). Chemins de fer du Nord Locomotive List 1842–1938. Sunnybank, Queensland: Dr. John Davies. pp. 2–26. ISBN 0-646-30938-2.
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