David Bain


1855 - 1933

Railway carriage designer. Born at Isauld in Caithness, Bain took an apprenticeship with Neilson & Co. of Glasgow (1875-79). He went on to work as a draughtsman for the North Eastern Railway in Gateshead (1883-87) and was appointed superintendent of their carriage works in York in 1890. In 1902, he moved to a similar role with the Midland Railway in Derby, where he was responsible for redesigning one of the largest carriage workshops in the world. He was the first to introduce electric lighting to railway carriages, designed a sleeping carriage and the royal compartments for King George V and Queen Mary. He was awarded a CBE after serving in the Ministry of Munitions during the First World War. He retired in 1919.


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