Son of George Dashiell Fowle Sr. and Sarah Ellen (Hooe) Fowle. An older brother with the same name (George Dashiell Fowle Jr.) was born Dec 11, 1849 and died June 8, 1951.
Husband of Emeline Russell (Iunerich) Fowle (born Nov 26, 1867 in Philadelphia, PA, died Jul 30, 1931 London, England); her body was shipped back to the US and her burial place is unknown at this time.
Obituary from from Railway Age Gazette, October 29, 1909:
George D. Fowle, for 20 years signal engineer of the Pennsylvania, whose death on October 14 was noted in our last issue, was a pioneer in American railway signaling, having been engaged in the installation of the first interlocking plant at Broad street station, Philadelphia in 1881.
Mr. Fowle was born April 22, 1859, at Washington, D. C, though the home of his parents was in Alexandria, Va. He attended private schools until he was 17, when he became a regular apprentice in the motive power department shops of the Pennsylvania at Altoona. He was noted for studiousness and the painstaking care with which he performed every task. He was quick to learn and also excelled in gymnastics. At the end of his four years’ apprenticeship, in June 1880, he became an apprentice draftsman. All his work in this line was of the finest quality. It was about this time that the first steps were taken by the Pennsylvania to establish a signal department and H. F. Cox was sent to Europe to study the project. On his return, Mr. Fowle and two other men from the motive power department were assigned to work with Mr. Cox, and, as before stated, they put in the first interlocking plant at Broad street. No detector bars were used at that time, and Mr. Fowle, having had a cot put into the signal cabin, stayed there night and day for two weeks, directing the lever movements. Only by this strenuous course did he succeed in preventing the plant from being put out of service. Mr. Ely sent him an extra hundred dollars in recognition of this service. Immediately after this, Mr. Fowle was put in charge of signals at Altoona and on August 1, 1887, he was made signal engineer. The department, which had been under the charge of Mr. Cox, was then transferred to the chief engineer’s department. Mr. Fowle’s health failed soon after this and he was never in perfect health afterward. He was afflicted with deafness and it was the increase of this which kept him away from the meetings of the Railway Signal Association, though he took an interest in its work, and was the twenty-fourth member of the association. In 1898, he was its president. The signal department of the Pennsylvania was transferred to the maintenance of way department in 1893.
Mr. Fowle retired from the active management of the signal department on August 1. 1907, and since then had been consulting signal engineer. Mr. Fowle did much for the advancement of the art of signaling but was always extremely modest about his work. He was a loyal friend and many signalmen remember with gratitude his helping hand.
He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.
--
Sources:
- burial location: PA death certificate. Photo volunteer reports they cannot find an individual grave marker at this cemetery.
- Information about the Railway Age Gazette article from FG member 49000646. Text from actual copy of the article on Hathitrust.org
Husband of Emeline Russell (Iunerich) Fowle (born Nov 26, 1867 in Philadelphia, PA, died Jul 30, 1931 London, England); her body was shipped back to the US and her burial place is unknown at this time.
Obituary from from Railway Age Gazette, October 29, 1909:
George D. Fowle, for 20 years signal engineer of the Pennsylvania, whose death on October 14 was noted in our last issue, was a pioneer in American railway signaling, having been engaged in the installation of the first interlocking plant at Broad street station, Philadelphia in 1881.
Mr. Fowle was born April 22, 1859, at Washington, D. C, though the home of his parents was in Alexandria, Va. He attended private schools until he was 17, when he became a regular apprentice in the motive power department shops of the Pennsylvania at Altoona. He was noted for studiousness and the painstaking care with which he performed every task. He was quick to learn and also excelled in gymnastics. At the end of his four years’ apprenticeship, in June 1880, he became an apprentice draftsman. All his work in this line was of the finest quality. It was about this time that the first steps were taken by the Pennsylvania to establish a signal department and H. F. Cox was sent to Europe to study the project. On his return, Mr. Fowle and two other men from the motive power department were assigned to work with Mr. Cox, and, as before stated, they put in the first interlocking plant at Broad street. No detector bars were used at that time, and Mr. Fowle, having had a cot put into the signal cabin, stayed there night and day for two weeks, directing the lever movements. Only by this strenuous course did he succeed in preventing the plant from being put out of service. Mr. Ely sent him an extra hundred dollars in recognition of this service. Immediately after this, Mr. Fowle was put in charge of signals at Altoona and on August 1, 1887, he was made signal engineer. The department, which had been under the charge of Mr. Cox, was then transferred to the chief engineer’s department. Mr. Fowle’s health failed soon after this and he was never in perfect health afterward. He was afflicted with deafness and it was the increase of this which kept him away from the meetings of the Railway Signal Association, though he took an interest in its work, and was the twenty-fourth member of the association. In 1898, he was its president. The signal department of the Pennsylvania was transferred to the maintenance of way department in 1893.
Mr. Fowle retired from the active management of the signal department on August 1. 1907, and since then had been consulting signal engineer. Mr. Fowle did much for the advancement of the art of signaling but was always extremely modest about his work. He was a loyal friend and many signalmen remember with gratitude his helping hand.
He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.
--
Sources:
- burial location: PA death certificate. Photo volunteer reports they cannot find an individual grave marker at this cemetery.
- Information about the Railway Age Gazette article from FG member 49000646. Text from actual copy of the article on Hathitrust.org
Son of George Dashiell Fowle Sr. and Sarah Ellen (Hooe) Fowle. An older brother with the same name (George Dashiell Fowle Jr.) was born Dec 11, 1849 and died June 8, 1951.
Husband of Emeline Russell (Iunerich) Fowle (born Nov 26, 1867 in Philadelphia, PA, died Jul 30, 1931 London, England); her body was shipped back to the US and her burial place is unknown at this time.
Obituary from from Railway Age Gazette, October 29, 1909:
George D. Fowle, for 20 years signal engineer of the Pennsylvania, whose death on October 14 was noted in our last issue, was a pioneer in American railway signaling, having been engaged in the installation of the first interlocking plant at Broad street station, Philadelphia in 1881.
Mr. Fowle was born April 22, 1859, at Washington, D. C, though the home of his parents was in Alexandria, Va. He attended private schools until he was 17, when he became a regular apprentice in the motive power department shops of the Pennsylvania at Altoona. He was noted for studiousness and the painstaking care with which he performed every task. He was quick to learn and also excelled in gymnastics. At the end of his four years’ apprenticeship, in June 1880, he became an apprentice draftsman. All his work in this line was of the finest quality. It was about this time that the first steps were taken by the Pennsylvania to establish a signal department and H. F. Cox was sent to Europe to study the project. On his return, Mr. Fowle and two other men from the motive power department were assigned to work with Mr. Cox, and, as before stated, they put in the first interlocking plant at Broad street. No detector bars were used at that time, and Mr. Fowle, having had a cot put into the signal cabin, stayed there night and day for two weeks, directing the lever movements. Only by this strenuous course did he succeed in preventing the plant from being put out of service. Mr. Ely sent him an extra hundred dollars in recognition of this service. Immediately after this, Mr. Fowle was put in charge of signals at Altoona and on August 1, 1887, he was made signal engineer. The department, which had been under the charge of Mr. Cox, was then transferred to the chief engineer’s department. Mr. Fowle’s health failed soon after this and he was never in perfect health afterward. He was afflicted with deafness and it was the increase of this which kept him away from the meetings of the Railway Signal Association, though he took an interest in its work, and was the twenty-fourth member of the association. In 1898, he was its president. The signal department of the Pennsylvania was transferred to the maintenance of way department in 1893.
Mr. Fowle retired from the active management of the signal department on August 1. 1907, and since then had been consulting signal engineer. Mr. Fowle did much for the advancement of the art of signaling but was always extremely modest about his work. He was a loyal friend and many signalmen remember with gratitude his helping hand.
He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.
--
Sources:
- burial location: PA death certificate. Photo volunteer reports they cannot find an individual grave marker at this cemetery.
- Information about the Railway Age Gazette article from FG member 49000646. Text from actual copy of the article on Hathitrust.org
Husband of Emeline Russell (Iunerich) Fowle (born Nov 26, 1867 in Philadelphia, PA, died Jul 30, 1931 London, England); her body was shipped back to the US and her burial place is unknown at this time.
Obituary from from Railway Age Gazette, October 29, 1909:
George D. Fowle, for 20 years signal engineer of the Pennsylvania, whose death on October 14 was noted in our last issue, was a pioneer in American railway signaling, having been engaged in the installation of the first interlocking plant at Broad street station, Philadelphia in 1881.
Mr. Fowle was born April 22, 1859, at Washington, D. C, though the home of his parents was in Alexandria, Va. He attended private schools until he was 17, when he became a regular apprentice in the motive power department shops of the Pennsylvania at Altoona. He was noted for studiousness and the painstaking care with which he performed every task. He was quick to learn and also excelled in gymnastics. At the end of his four years’ apprenticeship, in June 1880, he became an apprentice draftsman. All his work in this line was of the finest quality. It was about this time that the first steps were taken by the Pennsylvania to establish a signal department and H. F. Cox was sent to Europe to study the project. On his return, Mr. Fowle and two other men from the motive power department were assigned to work with Mr. Cox, and, as before stated, they put in the first interlocking plant at Broad street. No detector bars were used at that time, and Mr. Fowle, having had a cot put into the signal cabin, stayed there night and day for two weeks, directing the lever movements. Only by this strenuous course did he succeed in preventing the plant from being put out of service. Mr. Ely sent him an extra hundred dollars in recognition of this service. Immediately after this, Mr. Fowle was put in charge of signals at Altoona and on August 1, 1887, he was made signal engineer. The department, which had been under the charge of Mr. Cox, was then transferred to the chief engineer’s department. Mr. Fowle’s health failed soon after this and he was never in perfect health afterward. He was afflicted with deafness and it was the increase of this which kept him away from the meetings of the Railway Signal Association, though he took an interest in its work, and was the twenty-fourth member of the association. In 1898, he was its president. The signal department of the Pennsylvania was transferred to the maintenance of way department in 1893.
Mr. Fowle retired from the active management of the signal department on August 1. 1907, and since then had been consulting signal engineer. Mr. Fowle did much for the advancement of the art of signaling but was always extremely modest about his work. He was a loyal friend and many signalmen remember with gratitude his helping hand.
He leaves a widow, a son and a daughter.
--
Sources:
- burial location: PA death certificate. Photo volunteer reports they cannot find an individual grave marker at this cemetery.
- Information about the Railway Age Gazette article from FG member 49000646. Text from actual copy of the article on Hathitrust.org
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