Early Steam Trains, Early Steam Trains, 1700-18401700-1840

The struggle to build and run the World’s first steam

locomotives

The First Railways The First Railways

Before 1700, trucks ran on wooden rails in Cornish tin mines

By about 1780, coal trucks in the North-East were running on wooden and stone tracks. A few tracks were made of iron

All these ‘waggonways’ were drawn by horses

LocomotivesLocomotives• By 1800, fixed steam engines were working in mines and factories• The next step was the Locomotive – a moving steam engine that pulled coal trucks• Between 1800-1830, a number of ‘engineers’ tried to build a locomotive but their machines often broke down or were very weak

Richard TrevithickRichard Trevithick

• In 1804, Trevithick ran his new steam locomotive in Wales• It pulled 10 tonnes of iron for a bet• It travelled at 3½ m.p.h. for 100 yards and then broke down

….but he won his bet!

New Cogs & ‘Puffing Billy’New Cogs & ‘Puffing Billy’

In 1811, John Blenkinsop invented a locomotive with an extra wheel. It had cogs on it that gave the machine extra grip on the track

Then in 1813, John Hedley built his ‘Puffing Billy’ to haul coal in Northumberland

‘Puffing Billy’ ran for 50 years

Liverpool to Manchester RailwayLiverpool to Manchester Railway

• There was a competition in 1829 to see who’s locomotive was best. Stephenson won• He was chosen to build the Liverpool to Manchester railway• 400,000 people used the new railway in the first year. They were thrilled to travel at 18 m.p.h.

Railway Mania!

• After 1830, there was a rush to build railways• London & Birmingham linked in 1838• All the main cities were linked by 1850• The face of Britain changed, criss-crossed by railway lines, bridges and tunnels• There was a mad rush to invest in railways in the 1840s. Some people made fortunes, many went bust or were swindled• Railways created jobs for ‘navvies’, train drivers & staff, train builders, iron makers, coal miners and more!

Railway Mania!Railway Mania!

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Edinburgh Exeter Brighton

Coach

Train

Journey times from London (in hours)

Each part of the country had its own time when the first railways were built. It caused such confusion that station clocks began using London time. In 1880, Greenwich Mean Time became everyone’s time in Britain.

The ‘modern The ‘modern world’ took off world’ took off with the coming with the coming of the railways. of the railways. The world was The world was never the same never the same

again after again after 1830.1830.