IT WASN'T ROCKET SCIENCE
Getting History Right...
Mike Norman has used his own knowledge of working at the front-edge of technology and, together with new papers that have been found, has compiled an intriguing story. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys a family quest for recognition and social justice, just as much as to the experienced engineer.
Jane Hackworth-Young
Gt, Gt Grand-daughter of Timothy Hackworth
IT WASN"T ROCKET SCIENCE: Chapter 1 Coming to America
Baltimore, Wednesday 16th November 1892
The building on the corner of Baltimore Street and Calvert was not intended to be ignored or overlooked. Five storeys of granite and brickwork were topped by an ornamented mansard roof. Its presence there reflected the substance of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad itself. It stood out from the crowd. Momentarily a man paused by the building, looking up at the colonnaded battlements of the railway company’s head office. Timothy Hackworth Young, to give him the full name by which he had been christened, wondered whether the person who had invited him here could do what he said. Major Joseph G Pangborn had asked him to visit, eager to hear what more could be contributed to honour the inventiveness of a locomotive pioneer. He wondered how much the man really knew of his grandfather, Timothy Hackworth, the engine builder of Shildon. Wondered how this man could do what the Hackworth family, over the years, had found themselves unable.
A letter sent directly from the office of C K Lord, Third Vice President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, was the first contact the Hackworth family had with the railroad company. It had been received by his Aunt Prudence in England – aunty Pru as she was known inside the family. Vice President Charles Lord sought the loan of any significant items or material about Timothy Hackworth still in possession of the family. His letter had been followed all too promptly by further correspondence from Major Pangborn, to which his aunt replied with some caution.
However, Timothy Hackworth Young knew that in America, his adopted country, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad stood head and shoulders above any other in promoting the railway. He had been more than happy to accept an invitation from the ‘B&O’ to come to Baltimore. This was the 1890s. Railways were big business. Their plan was to put on the biggest railroad exhibition the world had ever seen.
The Columbian Exposition was going to be used to celebrate the birth of the railway, the marvels of the locomotives and the pioneers who overcame formidable challenges to forge a new era of transport. The B&O intended to show the world how this modern magic carpet was unleashed, set free and shaped by truly exceptional men. He was here because they wanted to talk over how they could best make a showing of the work of Timothy Hackworth. Make him, too, stand out from the crowd. That idea stoked his imagination, and he had thrown Aunt Pru’s caution to the winds.
He continued to look up at the heights of the building as he briefly tapped his jacket pocket. Major Pangborn’s letter of invitation was safely there. Reassured, he dropped his gaze to the building’s entrance and back to earth. Timothy Hackworth Young walked into the head office of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company and made himself known, never for a minute realising how significantly it would change the direction of his life.
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The name on the mahogany door simply said J G PANGBORN. The man who opened it to him was shorter than he expected, had a friendly smile on a well rounded face and sported the neatest moustache he had seen in a long while.
‘Timothy, isn’t it?’
Timothy looked past the welcome he was proffered and couldn’t help staring straight into the space that was Pangborn’s office. It was dense with books, with folders, with paperwork. Shelves that went from floor to ceiling were full. The large desk had numerous piles of papers on it. And there was carpet on the floor.
He must have hesitated at the sight. So much so, the man he’d come to see added ‘Come in’ and, when his visitor did, only then completing his greeting.
‘I can hardly believe that we actually have our own railroad man from Hackworth stock here in America. So very pleased you made it.’
Timothy looked around him. Looked at the many photos of Pangborn that adorned the wall of this office; Major Pangborn pictured with dignitaries, Major Pangborn pictured on board trains that bore the distinctive ‘B&O’ mark of the company, Major Pangborn pictured with the president of the company, Major Pangborn pictured in the construction sheds with newly completed locomotives. He struggled to take it all in. Major Pangborn clearly made up in status for any shortfall he might have in stature.
It was all a far cry from the workaday office Timothy normally shared with other foremen. Men he worked alongside in the locomotive sheds of the railroad company for which he worked in Chicago.
‘Do take a chair, sit down. Make yourself comfortable, we want you to feel at home. We have much to talk about.’
He didn’t know if he could actually feel at home in these surroundings. This was a far cry from the railroad world that was his lot. His job was to make sure the company locomotives were inspected, always kept up to scratch and, when needed, repaired. Now he had been taken up to the dizzy heights of the management floors of the prestigious Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, and in an elevator. If he owned up to how he felt right now, he was more than a touch overwhelmed. He could well believe that an exhibition being organised by someone with this patronage would be something special, and he was here because it was going to include his grandfather. That thought did nothing to clear the heady feeling.
‘Well, Timothy Hackworth Young. How does it feel to be part of a family that put the locomotive back on the rails when it nearly fell off?’
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A QUEST TO RESTORE A REPUTATION in a Classic way
Hearken, and attend, as I weave a tale,
Of Timothy Hackworth, whose prowess did prevail.
In the heart of the Industrial Revolution's might,
Steam power emerged, a beacon shining bright.
In this tome, a biography rich and grand,
Penned by Mike Norman, a skilled hand,
Revealing new material, from shores afar,
Unearthing Hackworth's triumphs, like a shining star.
With cooperation from the Hackworth clan,
The tale unfolds, a masterpiece in hand.
Letters, archives, and digitised trace,
Paint a portrait of Hackworth's remarkable grace.
Explosive and controversial, this account,
Challenges beliefs, as new truths surmount.
For the bi-centennial celebrations unfold,
Transforming the debate, with stories untold.
No, it wasn't "Rocket science," they say,
But Hackworth's legacy will forever stay.
A pioneer, unsung for far too long,
His name shall now be sung in epic song.
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Copyright © Mike Norman 2023