fˈoːɹ jˈɪɹz lˈeɪɾɚ, kˈoʊlbɜːn wʌz dɪsmˈɪst fɹʌmðɪ ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ æz ɐ ɹɪzˈʌlt ʌv pˈɜːsənəl skˈændəl, tˈeɪkɪŋ ˌʌp ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ kənsˈʌltənsi ænd bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ wˈɜːk ˌɔn ɐ tˈuːvˈɑːljuːm tˈɛkstbʊk ˌɔn lˌoʊkəmˈoʊɾɪv ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ ðæt wʊd fɚɹˈɛvɚ dᵻfˈaɪn hˌɪm æz ɐ lˈiːdɪŋ ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ.
Four years later, Colburn was dismissed from The Engineer as a result of personal scandal, taking up engineering consultancy and beginning work on a two-volume textbook on locomotive engineering that would forever define him as a leading engineer.