Eugène Flachat
Eugène Flachat (* 16th April 1802 in Nimes , † 16th June 1873 in Arcachon ) was a French railroad - engineer . As chief engineer of the Paris – St. Germain, he played a key role in the construction of the first French railway line from Paris to Le Pecq , operated exclusively by steam locomotives , which opened on August 28, 1837. Another line from Paris to Rouen followed in 1840–1842 . Flachat was also involved in the construction of the first two train stations in Paris, the Gare de l'Ouest - Rive droite (now Gare Saint-Lazare ) and the Gare de l'Ouest - Rive droite, today's Gare Montparnasse .
The new construction of the burned down Asnières railway bridge , which he planned, was the first wrought iron bridge and the first box girder bridge in France. Following this pattern, he built other bridges, including the Langon (Gironde) railway bridge and the Moulins (Allier) railway bridge .
Flachat later became director of the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest (Western Railway Company). Many of the bold ideas he developed in the course of his engineering life were only realized later. For example, he had the idea of crossing under the Alps through a tunnel and proposed a metro between the Gare de l'Est and the Paris wholesale market (Les Halles) .
Eugène Flachat is immortalized by name on the Eiffel Tower, see: The 72 names on the Eiffel Tower .
Web links
- Entry in La Nature
- Article Flachat, Eugène. on the website www.peter-hug.ch
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Flachat, Eugène |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French railway engineer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 16, 1802 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Nimes |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 16, 1873 |
| Place of death | Arcachon |