Russell, William Henry
William Henry Russell (October 25, 1818 - December 8, 1894) was an American railroad engineer. Russell started working on railroads at the age of eighteen in 1836, when he held chains for surveyors on the Western Railroad in the Berkshires. He worked for Western until 1842, when he moved to Ellington, Connecticut and tried his hand at farming. That lasted for three years, after which he worked as a surveyor for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. At some point he moved to the Cheshire and New London Railroad, before ending up with the Boston and Albany as the Chief Engineer in 1858. He served as Chief Engineer until October 1894 (a tenure of thirty-six years), when he became the Consulting Engineer, a position created for him. During his time with the Boston and Albany, Russell worked on the 'snow-plow and wrecking train'. Near the end of his tenure as Chief Engineer, assistants took much of the work off his shoulders, but 'at a washout or serious accident, Engineer Russell is always on hand and is general in the field of action. […] But he knows just how to do things, and natural skill supplements his familiarity with engineering rules.' He died two months later, on December 8, 1894.
Competing with the Erie Canal.
Road Department. Boston and Albany R.R. Sheet No. 1045.
$950.00
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This is an 1881 cyanotype route map of the Boston and Albany Railroad created by William H. Russell, the railroad's Chief Engineer. When this map was issued, the Boston and Albany operated 400+ miles of trackage through the scenic Berkshires, making it one of the longest point-to-point railroads in the United States. (more details)