Thomas Fleming Bergin was an early Irish railway official. He was the Company Clerk of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR), the first public railway in Ireland. He was also responsible for the design of the ''Bergin Patent Spring Buffer'', the buffering system that it used.

Life

Bergin, who was by profession an engineer, was to join the D&KR in 1932, replacing James Pim as company secretary. Lyons notes Pim and Bergin as "two of the most valuable engines the D&KR possessed, although other individuals also played an important part." 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. Bergin was to remain loyal to the D&KR despite offers from other railways. Thomas notes the D&KR ''Chief Clerk'' (aka Bergin) was sent to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) in June 1833. 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. 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 and Kingstown. 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''. Bergin retired when the operation of the D&KR was taken over by the Dublin and Wicklow Railway in 1856. He died in December 1862.

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* * * * * 19th-century Irish people Irish people in rail transport {{Ireland-bio-stub