Full Steam Ahead
George Stephenson
George Stephenson developed one of the earliest steam locomotives and his name is synonymous with the world's first public railway, the Stockton and Darlington line.
Stephenson was born in 1781 to a steam engine keeper and from his earliest days had an interest in machinery that was to make his name world famous.
At the age of fourteen Stephenson began working alongside his father at Dewley Colliery and went to evening school so he could learn to read and write. By 1812 he had become an engine wright at Killingworth Colliery and in 1814, after studying the work of Watt and Trevithick, he produced the Blucher. 
Although it was slow and unreliable it could pull 30 tons at 4mph and ran on the Killingworth railway. Over the next 5 years Stephenson continued to experiment and produced a further 16 locomotives and in 1819 he was asked to build an eight mile railway for Hetton Colliery.
The project for which Stephenson is best know is the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The line was the brainchild of Edward Pease but it was Stephenson's idea to use locomotives on the line rather than horses as Pease had envisaged. The line was opened in 1825 and used the Locomotion which had been built by George and his son Robert with the help of Timothy Hackworth and reached the speed of 12 mph. Stephenson went on to become engineer on the Liverpool-Manchester railway on which his most famous locomotive, the Rocket, would run at a speed of 30 mph.
Throughout the rest of his life Stephenson continued to work on other railway lines and went into business with George Hudson to open mines, quarries and ironworks. He was also a great philanthropist opening night schools for miners, music clubs, recreation room and schools for miners' children
Submitted by: Sarah McLeod, 22 July 2004
