Dugald Drummond was born in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, in 1840, his brother, Peter, arrived in the world ten years later and half a century later they would carve out significant reputations for themselves in the world of steam locomotives.
Dugald became Locomotive Superintendent of the London and South Western Railway in 1895 and it is in this capacity (the title changed to Chief Mechanical Engineer) that he is remembered in the naming of a Plymouth street that runs alongside the erstwhile line of that Railway. Peter, meanwhile succeeded James Manson as Chief Engineer on the Glasgow & SW Railway in 1912 – the year Dugald died – and proceeded to adapt a number of his brother’s designs and produced a number of his own in the process, up until his death in 1918.
Dugald is buried in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, and in 1995 (commemorating the centenary of his appointment) his grave stone was refurbished at the suggestion of enthusiasts of the old Southern Railway – two of his grandchildren, three great grandchildren and one great great grandson were present at the event.
