Subjects

Railways

Stories about the British transport revolution that changed the world, from the first locomotive and the first whistle to Flying Scotsman.

← Page 1

25

The Railway Clearing House

All but forgotten today, the RCH was one of the most important steps forward in British industrial history.

Read

Picture: Railway Clearing House (1914), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

26

Ireland’s First Railway

The Dublin to Dun Laoghaire line opened in 1834, and proved a remarkable testimony to the speed of technological progress.

Read

Picture: © David Quinn, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

27

Sir Sandford Fleming

What George Stephenson was to the railways of England, Sandford Fleming was to the railways of Canada.

Read

Picture: © Andrew Bowden, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

28

The London and Birmingham Railway

The textile moguls of Manchester and Liverpool engaged the Stephensons to complete their link to the capital.

Read

Picture: © Tony Hisgett, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

29

Burning Daylight

George Stephenson argued that his steam engines were solar-powered.

Read

Picture: © Stephen Daglish, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

30

The Genius Next Door

William Murdoch’s experiments with steam traction impressed his next-door neighbour, with world-changing results.

Read

Picture: © Philip Halling, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.