This was not Rankine's first experience of engineering for while he studied at Edinburgh University he had worked on the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway which his father was overseeing.
Ito ay hindi Rankine ng unang karanasan ng engineering para sa habang-aral siya sa Unibersidad ng Edinburgh niya ay nagtrabaho sa Edinburgh at Dalkeith Railway na kung saan ang kanyang ama ay overseeing.