William Barton Wright (1828–1915) was an English mechanical engineer, tea plantation owner, and mine owner who made significant contributions to the development of British rail transport. He is most distinguished for his career as a railway administrator and designer in the late nineteenth century.
In 1875, Wright was appointed as the Locomotive Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR). Over the course of his ten-year tenure in this position, he designed a diverse range of high-quality locomotives specifically engineered to haul the railway's substantial traffic. His innovative designs and administrative oversight helped elevate the LYR, making it one of the most efficient and well-regarded railway systems in the United Kingdom.
