Francis Webb. Remember this name.
(Okay, just remember it as long as it takes you to read this page.)
Very few engineers have ever matched the achievements of Mr. Francis Webb (in case you forgot it already). And after reading this, you will know why.
Mr. Webb was a steam locomotive designer for the London and North Western Railway near the end of the nineteenth century. His name has become famous among historians who wish to keep his memory alive. In fact, the index of one book on locomotive design reads: 'Webb, Francis - his incompetence'.
How incompetent was he, you ask? (Sorry, I was sure I heard somebody ask!)
Many of Webb's early locomotives were truly outstanding: not faster or stronger, mind you; just a lot more expensive to build, a lot less efficient, and quite often very difficult to get started. (But they looked nice!) These were not 'set-backs' to our good friend, Webb. Huh uh! Not at all! He would take his designs back to the drawing board and improve upon them to the point where the engines would not start at all!
His Teutonic class of locomotives, for example, were classic in their ingenuity, if not their concept. Fitted with two sets of drive wheels, each set turning in opposite directions, his locomotives would therefore be equally as efficient going forward as they would be going in reverse. Brilliant in concept and design!
Not quite! Webb had neglected to disconnect the drive wheels, resulting in both sets of drive wheels turning simultaneously! The engines would remain motionless as each set of wheels tried to move the train the other way! The locomotives huffed and puffed courageously with the wheels spinning aimlessly on the tracks.
To cure this problem, Webb suggested using another engine to boost his masterpieces and to get them going the right way.
And, for some reason, LNWR did!!
