On this day, September 27, 1825, the first public railway to use steam locomotives opened.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Mon Sep 27, 2021: On this day, September 27, 1825, the first public railway to use steam locomotives opened.

Hat tip, On This Day

Stockton and Darlington Railway

Dates of operation: 1825–1863

The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, and was officially opened on 27 September 1825. The movement of coal to ships rapidly became a lucrative business, and the line was soon extended to a new port at Middlesbrough. While coal waggons were hauled by steam locomotives from the start, passengers were carried in coaches drawn by horses until carriages hauled by steam locomotives were introduced in 1833.

{snip}

Genesis

Origins

{snip}

George Stephenson

{snip}

In 1823 Stephenson and {Edward Pease} opened Robert Stephenson and Company, a locomotive works at Forth Street, Newcastle, from which the following year the S&DR ordered two steam locomotives and two stationary engines. On 16 September 1825, with the stationary engines in place, the first locomotive, Locomotion No. 1, left the works, and the following day it was advertised that the railway would open on 27 September 1825.

Opening

{snip}

The cost of building the railway had greatly exceeded the estimates. By September 1825 the company had borrowed £60,000 in short-term loans and needed to start earning an income to ward off its creditors. A railway coach, named Experiment, arrived on the evening of 26 September 1825 and was attached to Locomotion No. 1, which had been placed on the rails for the first time at Aycliffe Lane station following the completion of its journey by road from Newcastle earlier that same day. Pease, Stephenson and other members of the committee then made an experimental journey to Darlington before taking the locomotive and coach to Shildon in preparation for the opening day, with James Stephenson, {George Stephenson's} elder brother, at the controls. On 27 September, between 7 am and 8 am, 12 waggons of coal were drawn up Etherley North Bank by a rope attached to the stationary engine at the top, and then let down the South Bank to St Helen's Auckland. A waggon of flour bags was attached and horses hauled the train across the Gaunless Bridge to the bottom of Brusselton West Bank, where thousands watched the second stationary engine draw the train up the incline. The train was let down the East Bank to Mason's Arms Crossing at Shildon Lane End, where Locomotion No. 1, Experiment and 21 new coal waggons fitted with seats were waiting.

The directors had allowed room for 300 passengers, but the train left carrying between 450 and 600 people, most travelling in empty waggons but some on top of waggons full of coal. Brakesmen were placed between the waggons, and the train set off, led by a man on horseback with a flag. It picked up speed on the gentle downward slope and reached 10 to 12 miles per hour (16 to 19 km/h), leaving behind men on field hunters (horses) who had tried to keep up with the procession. The train stopped when the waggon carrying the company surveyors and engineers lost a wheel; the waggon was left behind and the train continued. The train stopped again, this time for 35 minutes to repair the locomotive and the train set off again, reaching 15 mph (24 km/h) before it was welcomed by an estimated 10,000 people as it came to a stop at the Darlington branch junction. Eight and a half miles (14 km) had been covered in two hours, and subtracting the 55 minutes accounted by the two stops, it had travelled at an average speed of 8 mph (13 km/h). Six waggons of coal were distributed to the poor, workers stopped for refreshments and many of the passengers from Brusselton alighted at Darlington, to be replaced by others.

{snip}

George Stephenson's "Locomotion"
17,087 views Sep 19, 2016

Patrick Reed
1.79K subscribers

Using wrought rather than cast iron, George Stephenson solved the problem of brittle rails and launched the Age of the Railways. He and son Robert also dramatically improved the efficiency of their compact steam engine with their "Locomotion #1" engine. The clip is from Nat Geo: "Britain’s Greatest Machines"

.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Another good read on an interesting topic. Thanks! . . . nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Glad to oblige, and good morning. NT

[hunter]

3. We probably should have stopped at 35 mph.

If I was Emperor of the Earth that would be the universal speed limit for all fueled or electric vehicles.

Yep, I'm some kind of Luddite.

A train trip from New York to Los Angeles would take days.