John Lundie

Background

John Lundie, the son of James and Anne (Honeyman) Lundie, was born on December 14, 1857, in Arbroath, Scotland.

Education

Lundie graduated from the Dundee high school in 1873. Then he served for four years as a pupil in the office of the harbor engineer of the Port of Dundee, where he obtained some excellent training in civil engineering. Entering the University of Edinburgh, he graduated in 1880 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, having been first prize man in mathematical physics. He received the degree of Doctor of Science from University of Edinburgh in 1902 .

Career

About 1880s Lundie came to the United States and for four years was engaged upon railroad work in Oregon and Washington, including the building of Table Rock Tunnel, of which he was in charge. Going to Chicago, he engaged in private practice and later entered the employ of the city. In this capacity he made the preliminary survey of the Chicago Drainage Canal and designed several bridges. In 1890 he became engineer in Chicago for the King Bridge Company of Cleveland. This position he held for four years, during which time he erected numerous structures, including steelwork for some of the buildings of the Columbian Exposition.

He then returned to private practice, during the course of which he laid out the first low-level drainage system for Chicago and was connected with water-supply projects for other places. While engaged upon work at Memphis, Tenn. , he developed a method of determination of the yield of artesian wells. As a result of investigations regarding the use of electricity for the suburban travel of the Illinois Central Railroad came one of his principal achievements. After an entire year of research he enunciated the principle of "rapid acceleration" and the advisability of utilizing a high percentage of weight upon the driving wheels. From this work he prepared a thesis, "The Economics of Electric Train Movement, " which he presented to the University of Edinburgh. This thesis also established the Lundie formula for train resistance. In 1898 he was called to New York City in connection with some heavy traction problems, and soon afterward began practice there. About this time he reported upon power handling of freight for the Central of Georgia Railroad and in the course of his investigation designed a telpher. He also designed and patented the Lundie Ventilated Rheostat, now in extensive use.

In addition to a wide consultation practice upon railroad electrification problems in the United States, he was called to London to advise regarding the Metropolitan Underground system; and to Canada, on important electric railway work. In 1904 he reported to the General Electric Company upon water-power development and the use of electric power on the Isthmus of Panama, and at the same time directed the affairs of the Panama-American Corporation. In 1913 he designed and patented the Lundie Tie Plate, and later, a duplex rail anchor. Thereafter these inventions and their applications took much of his time and energy, requiring eventually the formation of the Lundie Engineering Corporation, of which he was president. He was now able to give more personal time to research and technical work, in which his greatest interest lay. In 1921 he became technical adviser to the United Central America Corporation. Although not in the best of health during the latter part of his life, he remained active in business up to the time of his death, which occurred in New York City.

Achievements

• Lundie was widely recognized for his work and research in the electric traction field. He was credited for the design of the telpher, the first combined electric hoist and tractor; the Lundie Ventilated Rheostat; the Lundie Tie Plate, and the duplex rail anchor. He was also the founder of the Lundie Engineering Corporation.

Connections

In 1906 Lundie married Iona Oakley Gorham, who died in 1925 and in 1929, Mrs. Alice Eddy Snowden, widow of Dr. Albert A. Snowden.

Father:

James Lundie

Mother:

Anne (Honeyman) Lundie

Spouse:

Iona Oakley Gorham

Spouse:

Alice Eddy Snowden