Arthur Fulton (engineer)


Arthur Robert William Fulton a New Zealand engineer was the eldest son of James Fulton and his wife Catherine. Like his brother James Arthur was a Public Works Department cadet and then an assistant engineer in Westport. He was then asked to join Harry Higginson's practice until in 1881 he went to New South Wales to survey the Goulburn-Cowra section of the Main Southern railway line.
When Higginson was made chief engineer for construction of the Wellington-Manawatu Railway in 1882 he obtained the services of Arthur and James as Resident Engineers for the construction of the Wellington-Waikanae and Waikanae-Longburn sections respectively.
When the line was completed in 1886 he was appointed traffic manager and locomotive superintendent, then to managing engineer. In 1885 he had introduced an improved method of signalling drivers and guards on the trains. he was responsible for the introduction of American locomotives on the line.
In 1883 Arthur married Linda Marie Weber. In 1889 Arthur died of typhoid fever aged 35y in Wellington during an outbreak;
leaving a widow and three young sons. Wellington sewerage was then collected in open drains. He was buried in the Bolton Street Cemetery.