Frank Ayton

Frank Ayton (10 January 1873, Hexham – 24 January 1956) was an English electrical engineer. He was a pioneer of electric vehicles. He was a founder of the Electrical Vehicle Committee of Great Britain, later the Electric Vehicle Association of Great Britain. He edited the journal Electric Vehicle.^[1]

Frank was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and attended the Imperial Service College in Windsor.^[1] He then studied at Finsbury Technical College before working for Siemens Brothers in Woolwich.^[2] He worked on the Waterloo and City Line^[2] before being taken on by Alexander Kennedy to work on various power station and electric traction projects.^[1]

Ayton was a member of the Institute of Transport.^[3]

Ayton was a managing director of Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies.^[3]

Works

• "Electric Vehicles for Brewery Service", Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Vol. 26 No. 3 March 1920 pp 113–133
• "Applications of Engineering to Agriculture", Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Volume: 111 issue: 1, June 1926, page(s): 683-720
• "The Electric Trolley Bus", The Commercial Motor, 30 October 1928 pp.45-6