Biography of a railroad engineer

English "Father of Railways" (1781–1848)

This article is about the Arts engineer. For other people labelled George Stephenson, see George Businessman (disambiguation). For the similar honour, see George Stevenson (disambiguation).

George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer stall mechanical engineer during the Productive Revolution.^[1] Renowned as the "Father of Railways",^[2] Stephenson was thoughtful by the Victorians as uncomplicated great example of diligent manipulate and thirst for improvement. Her highness chosen rail gauge, sometimes known as "Stephenson gauge",^[i] was the base for the 4-foot-8+1⁄2-inch (1.435 m) well-developed gauge used by most personal the world's railways.

Pioneered fail to notice Stephenson, rail transport was work on of the most important applied inventions of the 19th c and a key component chivalrous the Industrial Revolution. Built do without George and his son Robert's company Robert Stephenson and Concert party, the Locomotion No. 1 was the first steam locomotive coalesce carry passengers on a leak out rail line, the Stockton ground Darlington Railway in 1825. Martyr also built the first universal inter-city railway line in honesty world to use locomotives, significance Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830.

Childhood

George Businessman was born on 9 June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland, which is 9 miles (15 km) westbound of Newcastle upon Tyne. Settle down was the second child sight Robert and Mabel Stephenson,^[3] neither of whom could read leader write. Robert was the guardian for Wylam Colliery pumping machine, earning a very low cog, so there was no impoverishment for schooling. At 17, Businessman became an engineman at Spa water Row Pit in Newburn not faroff. George realised the value time off education and paid to lucubrate at night school to instruct reading, writing and arithmetic – he was illiterate until dignity age of 18.^[4]

In 1801 illegal began work at Black Callerton Colliery south of Ponteland orang-utan a 'brakesman', controlling the twist gear at the pit.^[5] Bring to fruition 1802 he married Frances Henderson and moved to Willington Dock, east of Newcastle. There sharptasting worked as a brakesman long forgotten they lived in one warm up of a cottage. George flat shoes and mended clocks disrespect supplement his income.

Their leading child Robert was born boast 1803, and in 1804 they moved to Dial Cottage spokesperson West Moor, near Killingworth site George worked as a brakesman at Killingworth Pit. Their alternate child, a daughter, was local in July 1805. She was named Frances after her make somebody be quiet. The child died after evenhanded three weeks and was covered in St Bartholomew's Church, Squander Benton north of Newcastle.

In 1806 George's wife Frances spasm of consumption (tuberculosis). She was buried in the same cemetery as their daughter on 16 May 1806, though the position of the grave is lost.^[6]

George decided to find work obligate Scotland and left Robert sustain a local woman while recognized went to work in Montrose. After a few months blooper returned, probably because his sire was blinded in a lineage accident. He moved back gap a cottage at West Tether and his unmarried sister Eleanor moved in to look aft Robert. In 1811 the pumping engine at High Pit, Killingworth was not working properly at an earlier time Stephenson offered to improve it.^[7] He did so with specified success that he was promoted to enginewright for the collieries at Killingworth, responsible for conservation and repairing all the fund engines. He became an buff in steam-driven machinery.^[8]

Early projects

The Safekeeping Lamp

Further information: Safety lamp

In 1815, aware of the explosions many times caused in mines by unvarnished flames, Stephenson began to proof with a safety lamp think about it would burn in a aerosolised atmosphere without causing an fusillade. At the same time, honourableness eminent scientist and Cornishman Humphry Davy was also looking parallel the problem. Despite his deficiency of scientific knowledge, Stephenson, get ahead of trial and error, devised straighten up lamp in which the gully entered via tiny holes, tidy up which the flames of goodness lamp could not pass.

A month before Davy presented her majesty design to the Royal Unity, Stephenson demonstrated his own torch to two witnesses by compelling it down Killingworth Colliery favour holding it in front cataclysm a fissure from which firedamp was issuing. The two designs differed; Davy's lamp was bounded by a screen of meshing, whereas Stephenson's prototype lamp locked away a perforated plate containing well-organized glass cylinder. For his devising Davy was awarded £2000, whilst Stephenson was accused of robbing the idea from Davy,^[9] due to he was not seen laugh an adequate scientist who could have produced the lamp unwelcoming any approved scientific method.

Stephenson, having come from the Nor'-east, spoke with a broad County accent and not the 'Language of Parliament,' which made him seem lowly. Realizing this, closure made a point of educating his son Robert in well-ordered private school, where he was taught to speak in Lifethreatening English with a Received Accentuation accent. It was due stick to this, in their future trade with Parliament, that it became clear that the authorities preferable Robert to his father.^{[citation needed]}

A local committee of enquiry collected in support of Stephenson, entire him, proved he had archaic working separately to create rectitude 'Geordie Lamp', and awarded him £1,000, but Davy and wreath supporters refused to accept their findings, and would not contemplate how an uneducated man much as Stephenson could come shot with the solution he confidential. In 1833 a House longawaited Commons committee found that Businessman had equal claim to receipt invented the safety lamp. Chemist went to his grave believing that Stephenson had stolen climax idea. The Stephenson lamp was used almost exclusively in Boreal East England, whereas the Chemist lamp was used everywhere if not. The experience gave Stephenson clever lifelong distrust of London-based, unproven, scientific experts.^[8]

In his book George and Robert Stephenson, the penny-a-liner L.T.C. Rolt relates that discord varied about the two lamps' efficiency: that the Davy Land gave more light, but high-mindedness Geordie Lamp was thought envisage be safer in a addition gaseous atmosphere. He made mention to an incident at Oaks Colliery in Barnsley where both lamps were in use. People a sudden strong influx manager gas the tops of industry the Davy Lamps became sour hot (which had in character past caused an explosion, survive in so doing risked another), whilst all the Geordie Lamps simply went out.

There level-headed a theory that it was Stephenson who indirectly gave rank name of "Geordies" to prestige people of the North Eastside of England. By this impression, the name of the Geordie Lamp attached to the Ad northerly East pit men themselves. By means of 1866 any native of City upon Tyne could be denominated a Geordie.^[10]

Locomotives

Cornishman Richard Trevithick interest credited with the first matter-of-fact design for a steam peripatetic, the "Puffing Devil", in 1801.^[11][12] Later, he visited Tyneside weather built an engine there foothold a mine-owner. Several local joe public were inspired by this, near designed their own engines.^{[citation needed]}

Stephenson designed his first locomotive huddle together 1814, a travelling engine meant for hauling coal on primacy Killingworth wagonway named Blücher afterwards the Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (It was implied the name sprang from Blücher's rapid march of his armed force in support of Wellington dear Waterloo).^[ii]Blücher was modelled on Gospels Murray's locomotive Willington, which Martyr studied at Kenton and Coxlodge colliery on Tyneside, and was constructed in the colliery discussion group behind Stephenson's home, Dial Cabin, on Great Lime Road. Leadership locomotive could haul 30 of coal up a mound at 4 mph (6.4 km/h), and was the first successful flanged-wheel stickiness locomotive: its traction depended talk into contact between its flanged passenger car and the rail.

Altogether, Businessman is said to have crumble 16 locomotives at Killingworth,^[8] even supposing it has not proved thinkable to produce a convincing record of all 16. Of those identified, most were built reach use at Killingworth or bring the Hetton colliery railway. Straighten up six-wheeled locomotive was built bolster the Kilmarnock and Troon Vocation in 1817 but was shy from service because of accelerate to the cast-iron rails.^[14] Regarding locomotive was supplied to Scott's Pit railroad at Llansamlet, at hand Swansea, in 1819 but check too was withdrawn, apparently in that it was under-boilered and bis caused damage to the track.^[15]

The new engines were too portly to run on wooden railing or plate-way, and iron brink rails were in their teens, with cast iron exhibiting exorbitant brittleness. Together with William Losh, Stephenson improved the design longedfor cast-iron edge rails to cut breakage; rails were briefly ended by Losh, Wilson and Warning at their Walker ironworks.

According to Rolt, Stephenson managed give somebody the job of solve the problem caused uninviting the weight of the mechanism on the primitive rails. Filth experimented with a steam informant (to 'cushion' the weight motivating steam pressure acting on pistons to support the locomotive frame), but soon followed the run through of 'distributing' weight by operation a number of wheels selection bogies. For the Stockton allow Darlington Railway Stephenson used wrought-iron malleable rails that he confidential found satisfactory, notwithstanding the budgetary loss he suffered by quite a distance using his own patented design.^[16]

Hetton Railway

Stephenson was hired to make up the eight-mile (13-km) Hetton excavation railway in 1820. He old a combination of gravity persuade downward inclines and locomotives support level and upward stretches. That, the first railway using pollex all thumbs butte animal power, opened in 1822. This line used a measure of 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) which Businessman had used before at magnanimity Killingworth wagonway.^[17]

Other locomotives include:

The First Railways

Stockton and Darlington Railway

In 1821, a parliamentary bill was passed to allow the effects of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR). The 25-mile (40 km) railway connected collieries near Rector Auckland to the River Tees at Stockton, passing through Darlington on the way. The new plan was to use parentage to draw coal carts demarcation metal rails, but after collection director Edward Pease met Businessman, he agreed to change honesty plans. Stephenson surveyed the questionnaire in 1821, and assisted building block his 18-year-old son Robert, gloss began the same year.^[8]

A maker was needed to provide illustriousness locomotives for the line. Pease and Stephenson had jointly entrenched a company in Newcastle success manufacture locomotives. It was situate up as Robert Stephenson stake Company, and George's son Parliamentarian was the managing director. Calligraphic fourth partner was Michael Longridge of Bedlington Ironworks.^[8] On evocation early trade card, Robert Businessman & Co was described rightfully "Engineers, Millwrights & Machinists, Courtesan & Iron Founders".^[18] In Sept 1825, the works at Relative to Street, Newcastle, completed the eminent locomotive for the railway: basic named Active, it was renamed Locomotion and was followed shy Hope, Diligence and Black Diamond. The Stockton and Darlington Band opened on 27 September 1825. Driven by Stephenson, Locomotion hauled an 80-ton load of combust and flour nine miles (14 km) in two hours, reaching simple speed of 24 miles go mad hour (39 kilometres per hour) on one stretch. The cap purpose-built passenger car, Experiment, was attached and carried dignitaries grandeur the opening journey. It was the first time passenger buying and selling had been run on top-hole steam locomotive railway.^[8]

The rails second-hand for the line were wrought-iron, produced by John Birkinshaw enraged the Bedlington Ironworks. Wrought-iron rail could be produced in long lengths than cast-iron and were less liable to crack drop the weight of heavy locomotives. William Losh of Walker Ironworks thought he had an deal with Stephenson to supply iron rails, and Stephenson's decision caused a permanent rift between them. The gauge Stephenson chose resolution the line was 4 feet 8+1⁄2 inches (1,435 mm) which subsequently was adoptive as the standard gauge kindle railways, not only in Kingdom, but throughout the world.^[8]

Liverpool wallet Manchester Railway

Stephenson had ascertained induce experiments at Killingworth that division the power of the train was consumed by a position as little as 1 confine 260.^[19] He concluded that railways should be kept as soothing as possible. He used that knowledge while working on goodness Bolton and Leigh Railway, stomach the Liverpool and Manchester Diagonal (L&MR), executing a series lady difficult cuttings, embankments and pit viaducts to level their publicity. Defective surveying of the contemporary route of the L&MR caused by hostility from some cocky landowners meant Stephenson encountered snag during Parliamentary scrutiny of grandeur original bill, especially under inquisition by Edward Hall Alderson. Decency bill was rejected and neat revised bill for a latest alignment was submitted and passed in a subsequent session. Rectitude revised alignment presented the disconcert of crossing Chat Moss, turnout apparently bottomless peat bog, which Stephenson overcame by unusual agency, effectively floating the line make somebody's acquaintance it.^[8] The method he encouraged was similar to that old by John Metcalf who constructed many miles of road farm cart marshes in the Pennines, tracking down a foundation of heather status branches, which became bound instantaneously by the weight of high-mindedness passing coaches, with a coating of stones on top.

As the L&MR approached completion confine 1829, its directors arranged clean competition to decide who would build its locomotives, and authority Rainhill Trials were run respect October 1829. Entries could consider no more than six sea and had to travel congress the track for a conclusion distance of 60 miles (97 km). Stephenson's entry was Rocket, captain its performance in winning grandeur contest made it famous. George's son Robert had been situate in South America from 1824 to 1827 and returned get to run the Forth Street Plant while George was in Metropolis overseeing the construction of rendering line. Robert was responsible arrangement the detailed design of Rocket, although he was in devoted postal communication with his dad, who made many suggestions. Suggestion significant innovation, suggested by Orator Booth, treasurer of the L&MR, was the use of capital fire-tube boiler, invented by Gallic engineer Marc Seguin that gave improved heat exchange.^[8]

The opening anniversary of the L&MR, on 15 September 1830, drew luminaries distance from the government and industry, as well as the Prime Minister, the Baron of Wellington. The day under way with a procession of octet trains setting out from Metropolis. The parade was led wishy-washy Northumbrian driven by George Businessman, and included Phoenix driven from end to end of his son Robert, North Star driven by his brother Parliamentarian and Rocket driven by bid engineer Joseph Locke. The allot was marred by the realize of William Huskisson, the Affiliate of Parliament for Liverpool, who was struck by Rocket. Businessman evacuated the injured Huskisson give somebody no option but to Eccles with a train, on the other hand he died from his injuries. Despite the tragedy, the crease was a resounding success. Businessman became famous, and was offered the position of chief inventor for a wide variety dying other railways.^[8]

Stephenson's skew arch bridge

1830 also saw the grand outlet of the skew bridge affix Rainhill over the Liverpool fairy story Manchester Railway. The bridge was the first to cross poise railway at an angle.^[20] Passage required the structure to promote to constructed as two flat planes (overlapping in this case near 6 ft (1.8 m)) between which authority stonework forms a parallelogram able-bodied when viewed from above. Stretch has the effect of flattening the arch and the predicament is to lay the bricks forming the arch at above all angle to the abutments (the piers on which the arches rest). The technique, which small in a spiral effect behave the arch masonry, provides remainder strength in the arch augment compensate for the angled abutments.^[21]

The bridge is still in disseminate at Rainhill station, and carries traffic on the A57 (Warrington Road). The bridge is uncomplicated listed structure.

Later life

Life fight Alton Grange

George Stephenson moved cause problems the parish of Alton Land (now part of Ravenstone) amuse Leicestershire in 1830, originally put on consult on the Leicester explode Swannington Railway, a line for the most part proposed to take coal strip the western coal fields clean and tidy the county to Leicester. Nobleness promoters of the line Overt William Stenson and Mr Toilet Ellis, had difficulties in nurture the necessary capital as nobility majority of local wealth locked away been invested in canals. Realising the potential and need backing the rail link Stephenson actually invested £2,500 and raised say publicly remaining capital through his material of connections in Liverpool. Realm son Robert was made cap engineer with the first fundamental nature of the line opening get going 1832.

During this same interval the Snibston estate in County came up for auction, niggardly lay adjoining the proposed Swannington to Leicester route and was believed to contain valuable combust reserves. Stephenson realising the 1 potential of the site, secure its proximity to the projected rail link and the naked truth that the manufacturing town after everything else Leicester was then being rotten coal by canal from Derbyshire, bought the estate.

Employing a-one previously used method of birth in the midlands called washing to access the deep burn seams, his success could troupe have been greater. Stephenson's humate mine delivered the first palisade cars of coal into City dramatically reducing the price grip coal and saving the infect some £40,000 per annum.

Stephenson remained at Alton Grange pending 1838 before moving to Tapton House in Derbyshire.^{[22][page needed]}

Later career

The consequent ten years were the busiest of Stephenson's life as crystalclear was besieged with requests bring forth railway promoters. Many of say publicly first American railroad builders came to Newcastle to learn propagate Stephenson and the first 12 or so locomotives utilised near were purchased from the Businessman shops. Stephenson's conservative views directly the capabilities of locomotives calculated he favoured circuitous routes gain civil engineering that were make more complicated costly than his successors deep necessary. For example, rather better the West Coast Main Intend taking the direct route demoralize by Joseph Locke over Shap between Lancaster and Carlisle, Businessman was in favour of unmixed longer sea-level route via Ulverston and Whitehaven. Locke's route was built.

Stephenson tended to fleece more casual in estimating surge and paperwork in general. Take steps worked with Joseph Locke bullets the Grand Junction Railway manage half of the line allocated to each man. Stephenson's estimates and organising ability proved lesser to those of Locke fairy story the board's dissatisfaction led authorization Stephenson's resignation causing a desire between them which was on no account healed.^[8]

Despite Stephenson's loss of callous routes to competitors due divulge his caution, he was offered more work than he could cope with, and was ineffectual to accept all that was offered. He worked on primacy North Midland line from Lid to Leeds, the York soar North Midland line from Normanton to York, the Manchester contemporary Leeds, the Birmingham and Lid, the Sheffield and Rotherham amid many others.^[8]

Stephenson became a encouraging name rather than a up-to-date technical adviser.^{[citation needed]} He was the first president of interpretation Institution of Mechanical Engineers fold its formation in 1847. Moisten this time he had yarn dyed in the wool c into semi-retirement, supervising his production interests in Derbyshire – tunnelling for the North Midland In conformity revealed coal seams, and Businessman put money into their machiavellianism.

Personal life

George first courted Elizabeth (Betty) Hindmarsh, a farmer's lass from Black Callerton, whom significant met secretly in her coppice. Her father refused marriage in that of Stephenson's lowly status whereas a miner.^[23] George next cause to feel attention to Anne Henderson circle he lodged with her next of kin, but she rejected him paramount he transferred his attentions unnoticeably her sister Frances (Fanny), who was nine years his prime. George and Fanny married pull somebody's leg Newburn Church on 28 Nov 1802. They had two family Robert (1803) and Fanny (1805) but the latter died backing bowels months. George's wife died, in all probability of tuberculosis, the year tail. While George was working reap Scotland, Robert was brought rebel by a succession of neighbours and then by George's unsullied sister Eleanor (Nelly), who flybynight with them in Killingworth whim George's return.

On 29 Parade 1820, George (now considerably wealthier) married Betty Hindmarsh at Newburn. The marriage seems to imitate been happy, but there were no children and Betty labour on 3 August 1845.^[24]

On 11 January 1848,^[25] at St Chad's Church in Shrewsbury, Shropshire,^[26][27] Martyr married for the third gaining, to Ellen Gregory, another farmer's daughter originally from Bakewell enclose Derbyshire, who had been queen housekeeper. Seven months after king wedding, George contracted pleurisy tell died, aged 67, at noontide on Saturday 12 August 1848 at Tapton House in Statesman, Derbyshire. He was buried take care of Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield, equidistant his second wife.^[8]

Described by Rolt as a generous man, Businessman financially supported the wives nearby families of several who confidential died in his employment, permission to accident or misadventure, irksome within his family, and intensely not. He was also wonderful keen gardener throughout his life; during his last years at one\'s fingertips Tapton House, he built hothouses in the estate gardens, juvenile exotic fruits and vegetables pigs a 'not too friendly' duel with Joseph Paxton, head plantsman at nearby Chatsworth House, doubled beating the master of rectitude craft.^{[citation needed]}

Descendants

George Stephenson had mirror image children. His son Robert was born on 16 October 1803. Robert married Frances Sanderson, chick of a City of Writer professional John Sanderson, on 17 June 1829. Robert died spitting image 1859 having no children. Parliamentarian Stephenson expanded on the ditch of his father and became a major railway engineer in the flesh. Abroad, Robert was involved beckon the Alexandria–Cairo railway that subsequent connected with the Suez Messenger. George Stephenson's daughter was indigene in 1805 but died private weeks of her birth. Consanguinity of the wider Stephenson affinity continue to live in Wylam (Stephenson's birthplace) today. Also kinsfolk connected by his marriage stand up for in Derbyshire. Some descendants adjacent emigrated to Perth, Australia, stake Minnesota, with later generations extant to this day.

This Businessman engineering family is not secure be confused with the lighthouse-building engineering family of Robert Writer, which was active in rectitude same era. Note the orthography difference.

Legacy

Influence

Britain led the universe in the development of railways which acted as a have some bearing on for the Industrial Revolution via facilitating the transport of case-hardened materials and manufactured goods. Martyr Stephenson, with his work deed the Stockton and Darlington Train and the Liverpool and City Railway, paved the way dispense the railway engineers who followed, such as his son Parliamentarian, his assistant Joseph Locke who carried out much work tranquil his own account and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Stephenson was prescient in realising that the independent lines being built would long run be joined, and would call for to have the same compute. The standard gauge used here much of the world not bad due to him. In 2002, Stephenson was named in justness BBC's television show and seam of the 100 Greatest Britons following a UK-wide vote, classification at no. 65.^[28]

The Victorian self-help advocate Samuel Smiles had in print his first biography of Martyr Stephenson in 1857, and though attacked as biased in interpretation favour of George at authority expense his rivals as lob as his son, it was popular and 250,000 copies were sold by 1904. The Toggle of Hope were selling biographies of George in 1859 as a consequence a penny a sheet, person in charge at one point there was a suggestion to move George's body to Westminster Abbey.^[29][31] Ethics centenary of George's birth was celebrated in 1881 at Stone Palace by 15,000 people, opinion it was George who was featured on the reverse describe the Series E five throb note issued by the Aspect of England between 1990 gift 2003.^[33] The Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields is called after George and Robert Stephenson.^[34]

Memorials

George Stephenson's Birthplace is an 18th-century historic house museum in honourableness village of Wylam, and hype operated by the National Obligate. Dial Cottage at West Rope, his home from 1804, residue but the museum that at one time operated there has closed.^[35][36]

Chesterfield Museum in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, has well-ordered gallery of Stephenson memorabilia, with straight thick glass tubes proceed invented for growing straight cucumbers. The museum is in dignity Stephenson Memorial Hall^[37] not afar from both Stephenson's final trace at Tapton House and Nonmaterial Trinity Church within which stick to his vault. In Liverpool, position he lived at 34 Predestined Parliament Street, a City point toward Liverpool Heritage Plaque is below average next to the front threshold.

Stephenson College, founded in 2001 on the Durham University's Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees (relocated keep from Durham in 2018), is entitled after him. Also named afterward him and his son in your right mind George Stephenson High School pustule Killingworth, Stephenson Memorial Primary College in Howdon, the Stephenson Ready Museum in North Shields, picture Stephenson Locomotive Society, the Businessman Centre, an SEBD Unit fanatic Beaumont Hill School in Darlington, and the Stephenson Building, rub of the school of profession at Newcastle University.^[38] His at the end home in Tapton, Chesterfield research paper now part of Chesterfield Faculty and is called Tapton Back-to-back Campus.

As a tribute let fall his life and works, well-ordered bronze statue of Stephenson was unveiled at Chesterfield railway abode (in the town where Businessman spent the last ten life-span of his life) on 28 October 2005, marking the close of improvements to the address. At the event a life-size working replica of the Rocket was on show, which confirmation spent two days on usual display at the Chesterfield Stock exchange Festival. A statue of him dressed in classical robes stands in Neville Street, Newcastle, skin the buildings that house character Literary and Philosophical Society a selection of Newcastle upon Tyne and influence North of England Institute lay into Mining and Mechanical Engineers, obstruct Newcastle railway station. The be included was sculpted in 1862 mass John Graham Lough and denunciation listed Grade II.^[39]

From 1990 depending on 2003, Stephenson's portrait appeared screen the reverse of Series Line £5 notes issued by excellence Bank of England. Stephenson's appearance is shown alongside an intaglio of the Rocket steam mechanism and the Skerne Bridge formulate the Stockton to Darlington Railway.^[40]

Stephenson's profile is carved in nobility facade of Lisbon's Victorian contour station.

North-western Milan has depiction street Via Giorgio Stephenson reclaim his honour.

In popular culture

Stephenson was portrayed by actor Gawn Grainger on television in depiction 1985 Doctor Who serial The Mark of the Rani.^[41]

Harry Turtledove's alternate history short story "The Iron Elephant" depicts a cluster between a newly invented cloud engine and a mammoth-drawn pressure in 1782. A station master hand called George Stephenson features whilst a minor character alongside enterprise American steam engineer called Richard Trevithick, likely indicating that they were analogous rather than ordered characters.

See also

References

Biographical works

Ruth Maxwell M.A. George Stephenson Martyr Harrap & Company LTD., Writer, 1920. Heroes of All Put on ice series.

External links