Opening of the Stockton-Darlington Line

The opening of the Stockton-Darlington Line took place on September 27, 1825. George Stephenson (see the appendix "Stephenson's Steam Engine") pulled a train weighing 90 tons, consisting of 34 carriages, six of which were loaded with coal, and the rest could accommodate over 400 passengers, at a speed of 19 to 24 km per hour. Members of the admissions committee were traveling in one of the passenger carriages, "Experiment". This was the first case in world practice of using a railway with steam traction for transporting passengers. As a result, the question of using steam on the railway as a motive force was resolved. And since 1825, it is customary to begin counting the world history of railway communications.

During the construction of the Stockton - Darlington line, J. Stephenson became convinced that the slightest climbs significantly reduced the speed of the locomotive, and on slopes, primitive brakes became ineffective. He came to the conclusion that in the future, large unevenness of the terrain should be avoided on new roads. When designing lines.

When designing the Bolton - Leigh and Liverpool - Manchester lines, J. Stephenson solved difficult technical problems: several complex cuts, bridges and viaducts were laid, designed to smooth the longitudinal profile of the track; iron rails on stone supports were used, which contributed to an increase in the speed of the train.

Sources:
History of the Belarusian Railway. From the XIX century - to the XX century. - Mn.: Mast. lit., 2012.

Stephenson's Steam Locomotives

George Stephenson (09.06.1781 – 12.08.1848). He was born in Willam near Newcastle, the center of coal mining in England. His father was once a simple coal miner, later he serviced a steam hoisting machine in the mines. Since childhood, his father took his son to the mine and told him about the purpose and structure of the machine. From the age of eight, the boy worked for hire. At 18, he learned to read and write. A strong desire to learn about steam engines helped him acquire the specialty of a steam engine mechanic. He had rare abilities and diligence. In 1802, he got a job as an engineer in a coal mine. Since 1808, with a reputation as an excellent engineer, George Stephenson received a position in the Kellingworth mines. In 1812, George Stephenson stopped servicing steam engines and began designing them himself.

In 1814, George Stephenson's steam engine could pull eight loaded coal cars weighing about 30 tons along the Kellingworth Factory Line at a speed of 4 miles per hour. By 1819, the locomotive had been somewhat improved, and five such locomotives, then called "iron horses", were already running along the aforementioned road. The successes were so convincing that J. Stephenson suggested using it for the track road between Darlington and Stockton, which was then being built.

The Stockton - Darlington line was opened on September 27, 1825. George Stephenson pulled a 90-ton train with 34 carriages, six of which were loaded with coal and the rest could carry over 400 passengers, at a speed of 19 to 24 km per hour. This was the first case in world practice of using a railway with steam traction to transport passengers. Since 1825, it is customary to begin counting the world history of railway communications.

In 1823, George Stephenson's son founded the world's first locomotive factory (Robert and Co.) in Newcastle, where in September 1825 a new locomotive was manufactured, called "Active", soon renamed "Locomotion No. 1". This locomotive was destined to open the first page of railway history.

George Stephenson is also credited with being the first locomotive builder to pay attention to the track and the interaction of the locomotive and the track. At first, the track width was 1372 mm (4 ft 6 in), which corresponded to the track width of ordinary roads common in the north of England. However, when designing the locomotive, Stephenson was unable to conveniently place the steam cylinder and had to widen the track by two and a half inches. The resulting track width was 1435 mm. This track width was widely used in Europe and America. It is sometimes called the "Stephenson" or "normal wide railway gauge".

J. Stephenson // History of the Belarusian Railway. From the XIX century to the XX century. - Mn.: Mast. lіt., 2012, p. 33

Stockton and Darlington railway

Replica of the locomotive "Locomotion No. 1" // Electronic source: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotion_%E2%84%96_1

Locomotion No. 1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway // Electronic source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotion_No._1

Locomotive "Raketa" of the Stephenson plant, 1829 // History of the Belarusian Railway. From the 19th century to the 20th century. - Mn.: Mast. lіt., 2012, p. 33.

Sources: History of the Belarusian Railway. From the 19th century to the 20th century. – Mn.: Mast. l