© Peter Lindop with thanks to Christine Duffy (Michael’s wife) and John Sandiford

This article first appeared in the March 2018 Newsletter

Dr Michael Ciaran Duffy passed away on 13th September 2017, aged 74, in Burnley where he had lived all his life. He had been suffering from Motor Neurone disease for a number of years.

Locomotive & Carriage Institution members may remember him from the “Evolution of Modern Traction” Seminars that he organised every November from 1990 to 2006. They were all day events at the Imperial College, London. The first one was to celebrate 100th Anniversary of the world’s first electric tube, The City and South London Railway (now the Northern Line). They then expanded with lectures covering a variety of transport subjects. Ill health was the main reason these Seminars ended, Michael being at the last one in a wheelchair, using a speaking aid.

He was a member of the L&CI, giving us a talk in 1997. Our Seminar’s in March 2001 (Croydon Tramlink) and April 2008 (Railway Heritage) were organised on the format of Michael’s successful Seminars.

He was senior lecturer in mechanical engineering and history of technology at the University of Sunderland 1969-2001.

He was the author of an important book on Electric Railways 1880 – 1990 published by The Institution of Electrical Engineers.

He published numerous papers on Railway Engineering especially via The Newcomen Society.