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Statue of George Stephenson, father of the railways.
Statue of George Stephenson, father of the railways.

This year has seen the celebration of 200 years of public railways in the UK. So it seemed appropriate to post a statue of the engineer who started it all with the Stockton and Darlington railway.

George and Robert went on to create the first intercity railway between Liverpool and Manchester. The original Liverpool Road station is now part of the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry. Many structures on the rail network can still be attributed to George and Robert, including the first railway in my local area the Leicester to Swannington (again for getting coal from the pits in NW Leicestershire to Leicester). Although the Leicester end of the line no longer exists from Desford via Ratby and Glenfield, there are still traces, including the Glenfield Tunnel. Where the Leicester terminus once stood is now a public park.

George Stephenson, born 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland. Born into a mining family, he was illiterate until the age of 18, having had no formal education until he could pay for it himself. He worked in the mine as an enginesman and brakesman. In 1811 one of the engines at Killingworth was not working correctly, George offered to repair and improve it. He was subsequently promoted to enginewright for the pit maintaining all of the engines. He is credited with eventing a safety lamp for miners (although the Humphry Davy lamp was evented around the same time). In 1814 he designed his first steam locomotive for hauling coal at the pit.

In 1821 parliamentary assent was granted for a line between the Durham coalfields and the River Tees at Stockton. George was given the job of surveying the line (assisted by his 18 year old son Robert) and construction of the first line to be used for the public began the same year.

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Taken on: June 12, 2025
Sets appears in:   • York Railway Museum 2025    • Daily Photos 2025   
Groups appears in:   • UK Flickr users    • UK amateur photographers    more » • Canon Users DSLR    • Daily Photo group    « less
Camera: Canon EOS 70D, f/6.3, 1/80 sec, 48mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Canon EOS 70D
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Focal Length: 48mm
ISO: 320
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