John Dixon (c.1795–1865) was an English railway civil engineer, and was the Stockton and Darlington Railway's Chief Civil Engineer between 1842 and 1865.
John Dixon started work as a bank clerk and in 1821, at the age of 26, assisted George and Robert Stephenson to survey the Stockton and Darlington Railway.[1] Dixon became one of the two Resident Engineers when George was later awarded the post of Engineer.[2] Dixon is listed as an assistant engineer when the company of George Stephenson & Son was formed to survey and build railways at the end of 1824.[3] He assisted George building the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and was at the Rainhill Trials, and wrote a letter, which still exists, describing the event to his brother James.[4] He was an engineer for the Grand Junction Railway, and returned to Darlington become Chief Civil Engineer to the Stockton and Darlington Railway between 1842 and 1865.[5]
John Dixon was the great nephew of Jeremiah Dixon, who with Charles Mason set the Mason–Dixon line that separates Northeastern from Southern United States.[1] He died in Darlington, aged 68, on 10 October 1865.[6]
The John Dixon responsible for transporting Cleopatra's Needle to England was the nephew of this man. He was born on 2 January 1835 and died in Croydon on 28 December 1891.[7]