Thomas Fleming Bergin

Thomas Fleming Bergin (n/a - 1862) was an Irish civil engineer and early Irish railway official. He was the Company Clerk of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR),^[1] the first public railway in Ireland.^[2] He was also responsible for the design of the Bergin Patent Spring Buffer, the buffering system that it used.^[3]

Biography

Bergin, who was by profession a civil engineer, was to join the Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR) in 1832, replacing James Pim as company secretary.^[4][5] Lyons notes Pim and Bergin as "two of the most valuable engines the D&KR possessed, although other individuals also played an important part."^[6] Murray notes Bergin was to have a "large part of the daily management of the railway", and also notes the Bergin and Pim made an excellent team.^[5] Bergin was to remain loyal to the D&KR despite offers from other railways.^[7]

Thomas notes the D&KR Chief Clerk (aka Bergin^[a][9]) was sent to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR)^[b] in June 1833.^[9] Dawson notes Bergin observed the sprung buffer / connection system used on the L&MR and determined to develop his own design for the D&KR.^[10]

On 16 December 1834 Bergin was to place advertisements in the Dublin newspapers as Clerk of the Company proclaiming the public opening of the D&KR with an hourly service from 9am to 4pm inclusive from Westland-Row to Blackrock and Kingstown.^[8]

Bergin was additionally appointed Mechanical Engineer in 1835, though as that position was found to be needing a full time appointment Bergin was to revert to Clerk.^[7] Bergin retired when the operation of the D&KR was taken over by the Dublin and Wicklow Railway in 1856.^[7]

Bergin served as president of the Microscopical Society of Ireland in 1842.^[11] He died in December 1862.^[7]