The first railway line to be built between two cities was
constructed from Liverpool to Manchester a distance of 48km (30 miles). The
building of the line involved significant engineering expertise to cross Chat
Moss bog, the Sankey Valley and cut through solid rock at Olive Mount. The term
navvies (named after the navigators who had cut out the canals) was applied for
the first time to the hundreds of travelling workmen, many from Ireland, who
achieved this feat using little more than spades and pickaxes! Before the line was opened, the owners decided to hold
locomotive trials to see which engine they would choose for their new railway.
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Sans Pareil and Novelty at Rainhill Trials |
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The Perseverance,Mr. Burstall of Edinburgh |
The famous Rainhill Trials were held in October 1829 over a distance of 4km
(21/2 miles) before crowds of up to 15,000! There were five entrants - Sans
Pareil built by Timothy Hackworth from Shildon, Novelty entered by John
Braithwaite, Timothy Burstall's Perseverance, Cyclopede ( a treadmill worked by
two horses!) and the legendary Rocket built by George and Robert Stephenson. On
the first day over 10,000 people turned up to watch the competitors. The
locomotives had to run twenty times up and down the track at Rainhill which
made the distance roughly equivalent to a return trip between Liverpool and
Manchester.
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The Rocket won the Rainhill Trials |
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William Huskisson by Richard Rothwell |
The winner was the Rocket and in September 1830 the
Liverpool to Manchester line was opened with George Stephenson at the controls
of Northumbrian. Also attending the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester
Railway was The Right Honourable William Huskisson, who was a Member of Parliament for
several constituencies, including Liverpool. Huskisson rode down the line in
the same train as the Duke of Wellington. At Parkside railway station, near the
midpoint of the line, the locomotives made a scheduled stop to take on water.
Although the railway staff had advised passengers to remain on the trains while
this took place, around 50 of the dignitaries on board alighted when the Duke
of Wellington's special train stopped. One of those who got off was William
Huskisson. He had fallen out with Wellington in 1828 over the issue of
parliamentary reform and had resigned from the cabinet. Hoping to be reconciled
with Wellington, he approached the Duke's railway carriage and shook his hand.
Distracted by the Duke, he did not notice an approaching locomotive on the
adjacent track, Rocket. On realising it was approaching he panicked and tried
to clamber into the Duke's carriage, but the door of the carriage swung open
leaving him hanging directly in the path of the oncoming Rocket. He fell onto
the tracks in front of the train. His leg was horrifically mangled. The wounded
Huskisson was taken by a train (driven by George Stephenson himself) to Eccles.
When he reached hospital he was given a massive dose of laudanum. After being
told his death was imminent he made his will, and died a few hours later.
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First Passenger Railway 1830 |
Despite this tragedy and as a result of the trials the
Stephensons went on to construct eight locomotives for the railway. Four months
earlier a small local line between Canterbury and Whitstable had opened mainly
carrying freight. However the Liverpool- Manchester line was the world's first
true railway carrying passengers and freight over some distance on a double
track line of metal rails.
Links
Sources
Liverpool Central Library
The National Archives
Liverpool Records Office
British Rail
The Museum of Liverpool
By Robert F Edwards