Railway engineer. Born on Little Cumbrae, Archibald was self-educated but came to Carbondale (Pennsylvania, USA) in 1828 as a civil and mining engineer. He worked for the Delaware & Hudson Company and was responsible for building much of its difficult railway across the Moosic mountains. He built another railway for the Pennsylvania Coal Company linking Hawley to Pittston, but is best known as the Chief Engineer to the Lackawanna Railroad Company, a position he occupied from 1857. He was responsible for the Oxford Tunnel, one of the longest in the USA at the time and complicated by its curving geometry, the accuracy of its construction was testament to his engineering skill. He also served as Vice-President and Chief Engineer of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad.
Archibald died in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The settlement of Archbold in Ohio is named in his honour.