Frederick George Smith

Frederick George Smith (1872–1956) was a British locomotive engineer who served as Locomotive Superintendent of the Highland Railway at Lochgorm Works, Inverness, from 1912 to 1915, a brief and unhappy tenure that ended with his resignation following the failure of his 'River Class' 4-6-0 — a design that proved too heavy for the Highland's lightly-laid permanent way and which was sold direct from new to the Caledonian Railway, leaving the Highland's motive power position materially worse than when Smith had arrived.

Born at Glasgow on 4 September 1872, Smith was apprenticed at the Hyde Park Works in Glasgow — one of the constituent works of the North British Locomotive Company — and subsequently gained drawing-office experience at the Great Eastern Railway's Stratford Works under James Holden. He succeeded Peter Drummond as Highland Railway Locomotive Superintendent in 1912.

Smith's River Class 4-6-0, designed to give the Highland more powerful motive power for its increasingly demanding traffic, was by all accounts a capable locomotive in its own right — but the Highland's engineering team had misjudged the permanent way restrictions of the line's lightly-built track, and the six completed engines were found on trials to exceed the permitted axle load. The Highland, unable to use them, sold all six to the Caledonian Railway where they gave adequate service. The episode was professionally humiliating for Smith, who resigned in December 1915 and was succeeded by Christopher Cumming. He worked in commercial engineering for the remainder of his career and died at Loughborough on 20 December 1956 at the age of 84.