George Stephenson, popularly known as the “Father of Railways,” was a British inventor whose pioneering work in the fields of civil and mechanical engineering resulted in the establishment of the world’s first public intercity railway line powered by steam locomotives. His is the quintessential rags to riches story – from being born into a financially impoverished family to becoming a self-made engineer who reshaped not only the transportation industry, but also sparked a major industrial revolution. He was responsible for the transition from animal power to steam locomotives, which eventually resulted in the world’s first public railway line. Apart from establishing the first railway line, Stephenson is credited with inventing the world’s most famous early railway locomotive, the Rocket. Additionally, Stephenson invented the four-foot-eight-and-a-half-inch railway gauge, which has become the standard gauge by convention for the majority of the world’s railways to this day. He is also credited with inventing the miner’s safety lamp, which significantly reduced the risk of explosions in the mining industry. In general, Stephenson’s contribution as the inventor of the railroad locomotive has been enormous.
Childhood & Adolescence
George Stephenson was born in Wylam, Northumberland on June 9, 1781 to Robert and Mabel Stephenson. His father was a low-income firefighter.
Stephenson was born into a financially impoverished family, and education was a luxury he could not afford. When he was seventeen, he began working as a Newcomen engineman. The earnings from the job were used to enroll him in a night school where he learned to read and write. He even became proficient in mathematics.
Stephenson began his career in 1801, as a brakesman at Black Callerton Colliery. He married the following year and relocated to Willington Quay, where he continued to work as a brakesman. To supplement his income, he learned how to repair shoes, clocks, and cut clothing.
He changed jobs following the birth of his son and began working at the Killingworth Pit. He was promoted to enginewright for the Killington Colleries in 1811 following his successful repair of a pumping engine at High Pit. He quickly developed an expertise in steam-powered machinery.
Stephenson invented his first locomotive in 1814, taking inspiration from John Blenkinsop’s traveling engine. The engine, named Blucher, was designed for coal hauling on the Killingworth wagonway. The first steam-powered locomotive to operate on a railroad, it was capable of hauling 30 tons of coal up a hill at a rate of 4mph. It became the most successful steam engine ever built.
Stephenson was not ignorant of the explosive dangers faced by the mining industry, having spent the better part of his life in coal mines. In pits brimming with flammable gases, the workers used naked flames. As such, he invented a safety lamp in 1815 to reduce the risk of explosion. The lamp consisted of a cylinder with numerous small air holes that limited the exposure.
Stephenson designed 16 additional locomotives for Killingworth following the success of his first locomotive engine. He constructed a six-wheeled locomotive for the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway in 1817.
In 1820, he was tasked with the responsibility of establishing an eight-mile railway in Hetton Colliery Railway. It was the first railway that was entirely powered by machines and did not rely on animal power. The railway’s success prompted him to patent his cast iron rails.
In 1821, following the success of the Hetton Colliery railway, he was appointed engineer for the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The line was 25 miles long and connected Stockton and Darlington collieries. Robert, his son, assisted him with the project.
The Stockton and Darlington railway began operations on September 27, 1825. On one stretch, the railway’s first locomotive, Locomotion, hauled more than 80 tons of coal and flour nine miles in two hours at a speed of 24 miles per hour.
Stephenson constructed the Stockton and Darlington railway’s first passenger car. It carried luminaries on its inaugural journey, powered by the locomotive Experiment. It became the world’s first public railway to run on steam locomotives as a result of this.
During the construction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, Stephenson established the historic rail gauge measurement of four feet eight and a half inches, which became the standard rail gauge measurement not just in the United Kingdom, but throughout the world. Railways on all continents continue to use Stephenson’s gauge measurement of four feet eight and a half inches.
Stephenson’s fame was multiplied by the success of the Stockton and Darlington railway. He was appointed chief engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railways in 1872.
In 1829, a year before the Liverpool and Manchester Railways opened, a competition for the best and most powerful locomotive was held. Among the ten entries, Stephenson and his son’s Rocket engine emerged as the clear winner. Rocket sped by at 36 miles per hour, shattering all previous records.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railways were inaugurated on September 15, 1830, in the presence of prominent figures such as the Duke of Wellington and Prime Minister of Waterloo. On the Liverpool-Manchester line, eight locomotives were used, all of which were built at Stephenson’s Newcastle works.
Stephenson achieved celebrity status as a result of his success in laying railroads and the creation of the superfast locomotive Rocket. As a result, railroad construction spread rapidly throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America, with Stephenson serving as chief engineer on the majority of projects. He also served as a consultant on a number of railroad projects both domestic and international.
While successful railroad transportation made Stephenson wealthy and famous, excavations for railway lines resulted in the discovery of valuable coal reserves, which increased his wealth and affluence. This became prominent during the construction of the Leicester and Swannington railway. Stephenson’s coal mine supplied the first rail cars of coal to Leicester, significantly lowering coal prices.
Between 1838 and 1848, Stephenson experienced his busiest decade, as he was inundated with requests from railway builders worldwide. Additionally, Stephenson’s locomotive building business flourished as builders purchased locomotives from Stephenson’s Newcastle Works. Additionally, he oversaw a number of railway projects, including the York and North Midland line, the Manchester and Leeds line, the Birmingham and Derby line, and the Sheffield and Rotherham line.
Significant Works of George
Stephenson is best known for inventing the first commercial locomotive and railways. In 1814, he created the first commercially viable locomotive, Blucher, by combining tramways and steam engines. Blucher was primarily created to transport coal. Though Blucher traveled at a snail’s pace of 4mph, it signaled the end of horsepower.
In 1822, he built the first locomotive railway in the world for the Hetton Colliery. However, his greatest achievement came in 1825 with the Stockton and Darlington railway line. It was the world’s first public steam locomotive railway. The success resulted in the establishment of several additional railway lines, including the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
Stephenson is also credited with devising the historic rail gauge measurement of four feet eight and a half inches, which has become the global standard for railway gauges.
In 1829, Stephenson and his son Robert invented Rocket, the world’s most powerful locomotive engine at the time. Rocket sped by at 36 miles per hour, shattering all previous records.
Personal History and Legacies
Stephenson had a number of romantic relationships prior to marrying Frances (Fanny) at Newburn Church on November 28, 1802. Robert and Fanny were born to the couple. Fanny died during her childhood.
Stephenson remarried Betty Hindmarsh at Newburn on March 29, 1820, following the death of his wife Frances from tuberculosis. They were childless. Betty died in 1845.
On January 11, 1848, at St John’s Church in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Stephenson married Ellen Gregory, his housekeeper, for the third time.
He died of pleurisy on August 12, 1848. He was laid to rest in Chesterfield’s Holy Trinity Church. He has been commemorated in a variety of ways for his outstanding contribution to civil and mechanical engineering. His Wylam birthplace has been transformed into a historic house museum.
Numerous colleges, schools, institutions, and public societies bear his name. He also owns the Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields.
From 1990 to 2003, his portrait appeared on the reverse of the Bank of England’s E £5 note series. He was named to the BBC’s list of the 100 Greatest Britons in 2002.
Estimated Net Worth
George Stephenson earnings, salary, and lifestyle. According to online sources (Wikipedia, Google Search, and Yahoo Search), George Stephenson’s net worth is estimated to be $ USD 10 million and his primary source of income is as a civil engineer, mechanical engineer, and inventor. We lack sufficient evidence regarding George Stephenson’s automobiles and lifestyle.
Trivia
This civil and mechanical engineer is popularly known as the Father of Railways. He is credited with building the world’s first public intercity railway.