Britain's trains and railways: A beginner's guide
Early history
Although horse-drawn railways and steam engines had been around for years, the Stockton & Darlington Railway in north-east England, which opened on 27 September 1825, is credited as Britain's first passenger railway.
Pioneer George Stephenson was its chief engineer, and his son's firm – Robert Stephenson & Company in Newcastle upon Tyne – became the world's first locomotive works. Their No 1, Locomotion, pulled the inaugural train of 38 wagons. The nine-mile route took two hours, during which speeds of 15mph were reached.
In 1829, when the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was approaching completion, the directors launched a competition to find the best design of locomotive. The trials were to take place at Rainhill, near Liverpool. Five engines took part, but only the Rocket completed the trials. It averaged 12 mph, hauling 13 tons, and was declared the winner of the £500 prize. The railway age had begun.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway: The birthplace of the railway
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/johnmoore/1825/
Informative website describing the history of Britain's first
public railway.
Locomotion
www.drcm.org.uk/Content/Collections/Locomotion.htm
Locomotion is in the collection of the Darlington
Railway Centre and Museum.
The Rainhill Trials, October 1829
www.resco.co.uk/rainhill/
Accounts of the trials and locomotives transcribed from the
weekly Mechanics Magazine.
Stephenson's 'Rocket' locomotive, 1829
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects/
nrm_-_locomotives_and_rolling_stock/1862-5.aspx?
keywords=Stephenson
Rocket can be seen at the Science Museum, London.
Stephenson's Rocket Animation
www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/
launch_ani_rocket.shtml
See how Rocket worked.
Rail Transport, Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
www.msim.org.uk/explore-mosi/transport/rail-transport
Liverpool Road Station in Manchester is the world's oldest
surviving passenger station. It is now part of the Museum of Science
and Industry and also houses a replica of Novelty, which ran in the Rainhill
Trials, and a working replica of Robert Stephenson's Planet.
Railways in the 19th Century
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/railways.htm
Articles on the engineers, entrepreneurs, companies and locomotives, on this educational site.
Britain's 7ft Gauge Railways
www.laluciole.net/gwr/index.html
A brief history of the Britain's broad-gauge railways, 1835-1892.
If Brunel had had his way, our trains would be wider, faster and more comfortable
than they are today.
