For many, the modern railway in started with George Stephenson. However, railways had existed long before Rocket. The reality is that Rocket is the culmination of decades or development, and the concept of railways existed right back to the Roman empire.
The 'modern' railway goes back to 16th century Austria, with waggonways drawn by horses. Crude, flangeless wooden wheels on basic wooden rails, pushed by humans or horses, were a more efficient way of moving materials in mining.
Moving on from the early days, brings us to James Watt, who managed to harness the power of steam for stationary engines. Watt's low pressure steam engines used the principles of a boiler, piston and valve gear to generate reciprocal motion. James Watt is one of the people responsible for triggering Britains industrial revolution and moving Britain forward into the modern world.
James Watt's engines were massive though, and were often build into factories and pumping stations. They were in no way portable, and simply performed a static function. Engineers worked to try and miniaturise the technology into a more portable format.
Richard Trevithick was Cornish mining who revolutionised the steam engine. Early experiments involved road vehicles, including Puffing Devil and a steam carriage. The former meeting its end because of a trip to the pub!
The Coalbrookdale locomotive was arguably the first railway locomotive.
She was followed by the similar Pen-y-Darren and Newcastle locomotives
Richard's final engine was 'Catch Me Who Can', which ran on a circular demonstration track in Bloomsbury, near to Euston Square in London. The engine ran, charging a shilling per fare.
Richard went to work in South America and returned to Britain shortly before passing away in 1833.
The story goes as such. Hackworth did not have the facility to cast the cylinders for Sans Pareil at his own workshops, so subsequently contracted the work out to the Stephensons. The work was done, the cylinders delivered and installed, and Sans Pareil was performing well at the trials. However during the trials, the cylinder cracked, taking Sans Pareil out of the competition. Many suggest foul play, but in reality, Sans Pareil was an evolutionary design. Whereas Rocket could be considered revolutionary. Sans Pareil was the culmination of existing locomotive design practice, and Rocket was the start of many new design principles.
I have written a separate site report on the Locomotion site, which can be viewed here
Images are taken from Wikipedia and are in the public domain or licensed under wikimedia commons, or are part of my own archive
The 'modern' railway goes back to 16th century Austria, with waggonways drawn by horses. Crude, flangeless wooden wheels on basic wooden rails, pushed by humans or horses, were a more efficient way of moving materials in mining.
James Watt's engines were massive though, and were often build into factories and pumping stations. They were in no way portable, and simply performed a static function. Engineers worked to try and miniaturise the technology into a more portable format.
Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick was Cornish mining who revolutionised the steam engine. Early experiments involved road vehicles, including Puffing Devil and a steam carriage. The former meeting its end because of a trip to the pub!
The Coalbrookdale locomotive was arguably the first railway locomotive.
She was followed by the similar Pen-y-Darren and Newcastle locomotives
Richard's final engine was 'Catch Me Who Can', which ran on a circular demonstration track in Bloomsbury, near to Euston Square in London. The engine ran, charging a shilling per fare.
Richard went to work in South America and returned to Britain shortly before passing away in 1833.
George Stephenson
Known as the Father of the Railways, George was born in Wylam, Northumberland in 1781. He was responsible for creating the modern steam locomotive, and along with his son Robert, was a railway pioneer.
George built experimental locomotives for the Killingworth Colliery, but he is more famously known for building the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and the Liverpool and Manchester. The latter being the first passenger railway.
What is probably George and Roberts greatest achievements is the pioneering development in steam locomotives. Locomotion, which currently resides at the Head of Steam Museum, Darlington (https://www.head-of-steam.co.uk/), which pioneered the development of valve gear on a locomotive.
Timothy Hackworth
Timothy Hackworth (b. 1786) Was the locomotive superintendent was a competitor to the Stephensons, building Puffing Billy and subsequently Sans Pareil. Sans Pareil and the 1975 built replica are now based at Locomotion in Shildon. Sans Pareil was the closest competitor to Rocket at the Rainhill Trials, and there is a tale to tell.
Sabotage! or Sabotage?
The story goes as such. Hackworth did not have the facility to cast the cylinders for Sans Pareil at his own workshops, so subsequently contracted the work out to the Stephensons. The work was done, the cylinders delivered and installed, and Sans Pareil was performing well at the trials. However during the trials, the cylinder cracked, taking Sans Pareil out of the competition. Many suggest foul play, but in reality, Sans Pareil was an evolutionary design. Whereas Rocket could be considered revolutionary. Sans Pareil was the culmination of existing locomotive design practice, and Rocket was the start of many new design principles.
I have written a separate site report on the Locomotion site, which can be viewed here
Images are taken from Wikipedia and are in the public domain or licensed under wikimedia commons, or are part of my own archive
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