When was jp knight born

He left school in , and commenced his business life in the Parcel- and Telegraph-Offices of the Midland Railway at Derby Station, where his elder brothers, William and Sam, were likewise then employed. He was also for a short time engaged with Mr.

Peter Clarke on the York and North Midland line at York Station, acting in the capacity of private secretary to that gentleman. When Mr. Peter Clarke was appointed General Manager of the Brighton Railway, he sent for his former assistant, in whose welfare he had always taken a friendly interest.

In this way Mr. Knight first became connected with the Brighton Company, taking up his duties in the Audit Offices, which were then at Brighton, in the year In he left the Brighton Company, and was engaged by its neighbour the South Eastern, whose London terminus was then at Bricklayers Arms.

He was shortly afterwards appointed Superintendent of that line, and held the post until In the latter year [George Hawkins Mr. Knight was appointed his successor. He had not long been Traffic Manager before the Directors, being so well satisfied with him, made him their General Manager, which position he retained until the day of his death. Enjoying the thorough confidence of his Directors, and having full scope for carrying out his enterprising and far-seeing plans for the development and improvement of the line, Mr.

Knight succeeded in making the Brighton railway one of the most popular in the kingdom, with a deserved reputation for careful working and immunity from accident. He was more especially known by the general public for his skill and smartness in organising provision for the pressure of traffic on the occasion of popular holidays such as those made by statute and occurring four times a year ; gatherings at the Crystal Palace ; Volunteer Reviews ; and above all, the Derby Day.

In respect of the latter it was his custom some days in advance of the great race-meeting to make a special survey of the line and rolling-stock, minutely inspecting the track, and making sure that everything was well prepared for the great strain shortly to be put upon it. For the material improvement of the line under his charge, Mr. Knight worked unceasingly. He was instrumental in the adoption of the interlocking of signals, and the block system.

John Peake Knight 13 December — 23 July was an English railway manager and inventor, credited with inventing the traffic light in …. Most prominently, the inventor Garrett Morgan has been given credit for having invented the traffic signal based on his T-shaped design, patented in and later reportedly sold to General Electric.

They chose red as the color for stop, it is thought, because red has for centuries been used to indicate danger. Traffic signals are always in the same order, whether the three lights are vertical or horizontal, so that color blind people can drive.

Not every country is the same, but it is the same across our country. Because if you are colour blind, you will know the sequence. William Potts, a police officer, invented the first traffic light with three colors…. Light cycles. If there is no designated crossing point, choose a spot where you can see, and be seen, clearly. This means avoiding parked cars, sharp bends, and just below the top of a hill. By , all major American cities and many small towns had at least one electric traffic signal, and the innovation was spreading around the world.

The simple device tamed the streets; motor vehicle fatality rates in the United States fell by more than 50 percent between and More Alchetron Topics. Similar Topics Elizabeth Knight. Elizabeth Knight. Callum Braley. Notification Sent. Read our cookie policy. John Peake Knight The railway engineer whose idea for traffic lights proved explosive.

Credit: Greywolf His innovative designs for signalling systems helped minimise accidents on the railways. Credit: Illustrated London News. Help us improve our website by providing your feedback.