Dude even tried his own hyperloop:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel#Brunel...

I'm reading Voice Across The Sea now and Arthur C. Clarke called Brunel, "the greatest engineering genius of the Victorian era - perhaps, indeed, the only man in the last five hundred years to come within hailing distance of Leonardo da Vinci."

He was also a fan of L.T.C Rolt's biography: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1828514.Isambard_Kingdom...

His dad was remarkable as well. Brunel cut his teeth on his father's Thames tunnel project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Tunnel). There is a little Brunel museum on the site of the project's steam engine. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Brunel makes occasional appearances along side Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage in Sydney Padua's alternative-history web comic "2D Goggles", which is worth your time...

http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/cast/

#2 on BBC's list of 100 Greatest Britons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_Britons

The only one in the top 10 I had never heard of before.

For those who watched the London Olympics, this was the figure portrayed by Kenneth Branaugh in the beginning when the Olympic rings were "forged."

I first heard about him from the mini bio in Railroad Tycoon II of all things. Very interesting guy.

That was my thought as well. Railroad Tycoon was an interesting way to learn about that particular slice of early industrial history.

Now there was an engineer.

The musical version.[1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21QqXumEWFU

I love such songs. Thanks for linking!

I hadn't heard of him before I came across him in a novel (http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Affair-Spring-Swinburne-Advent...), and after that I had to read up on him. Quite a remarkable fellow.

Darn, too bad I already named my kids.

My father wanted to name me Isambard, but was overruled by my mother.

So, what's your middle name?

Dad missed out there too.

I first heard about him from Jeremy Clarkson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwHnVH9jWmU

(punchy or not, clarkson makes great documentaries)

I'm of Bristolian origin, and here's the local hero.