ENGINES OF PROGRESS: RAILWAYS AND THE PIONEERING SPIRIT

There’s no doubt that reviewing human engineering progress without including the momentous invention of rail would leave a hole big enough to drive a train through (excuse pun). The advent of rail introduced speed across a variety of terrains, the potential for bulk material transport, and the opportunity for many people to travel together and faster for long distances.

Railway engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and operation of railway systems. Its roots are in the early nineteenth century when the need for specialised engineers capable of dealing with the unique problems of the new railway systems emerged. As the railways expanded and became a major economic force, a great many engineers became involved in the field, probably the most notable in Britain being Richard Trevithick, George Stephenson, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.  

The first railways of note began in the early 1800’s, but more primitive forms of the concept had already been designed in ancient Greece using human energy for power, and then developed further in medieval Europe using horses. With the invention of the steam engine, the railways became a powerful economic force during the progress of the 19^th century with the first electrified trains in the 1880s.

Great engineers in railway development

Richard Trevithick (1771 – 1833) was responsible for the development of the first high-pressure steam engine and the first working steam locomotive. Trevithick’s locomotive was named ‘Puffing Devil’ and in 1801, it was used in what is widely recognised as the first public demonstration of transportation powered by steam.

George Stephenson (1781 – 1848) was inspired by Trevithick and went on to design his first locomotive in 1814. Stephenson designed the first steam locomotive in 1825 to carry passengers on a line between Stockton and Darlington. He earned the title of ‘Father of the Railways’ for building the Liverpool and Manchester Railway which opened in 1830. He also invented the rail gauge – the spacing of rails on a railway track of 4ft 8 and ½ inches – which has become the standard for most of the world’s railways.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859) is considered a giant of the Industrial Revolution. In 1833, he was appointed as chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, which ran from London to Bristol. Brunel’s visionary designs included bridges and tunnels and the development of several rail routes across Britain.

A history of railway engineering at a glance

•    In 1798, the plateway system was used for the UK’s Lake Lock Rail Road, the world’s first public railway that carried coal as well as passengers. The wagons on the Lake Lock Rail Road were hauled by horses. However, animal power was nearing its end; by 1784, William Murdoch had already produced a working model of a self-propelled steam carriage. 
• The 18th century marked the beginning of iron plateways and steam engines. Initially plates of cast iron were fixed to the wooden rails, improving the durability of the rail. But by 1803, William Jessop developed the Surrey Iron Railway, a double track plateway, and then went on to produce an all-iron edge rail and flanged wheels. 
• The emergence of railways from around the 1820’s marked the beginning of the end for canals, as trains could carry more goods, more people, and travel much faster.
• Railways spread rapidly throughout the UK with the increased demand for coal and steel, and for the distribution of items such as newspapers and post. These railways were built by ‘navvies’ who would dig foundations, lay stones and fix the tracks. Most of the work was done by hand, using a pick axe. rapidly throughout the UK with the increased demand for coal and steel, and for the distribution of items such as newspapers and post. These railways were built by ‘navvies’ who would dig foundations, lay stones and fix the tracks. Most of the work was done by hand, using a pick axe.
• In the 19^th century, the Puffing Billy, built by Christopher Blackett and William Hedley, became the first adhesion-only locomotive, and by 1814, George Stephenson had designed the Blücher, another successful adhesion locomotive.
•   Stephenson then went on to develop the first public steam railway in 1825, suitably termed, ‘The Locomotion’. Stephenson’s successes culminated in 1830 with the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Being the first public inter-city railway using only steam locomotives, this represented the birth of the modern railway.
• Then in 1837, Robert Davidson built the first electric locomotive that was powered by batteries.
• The 20th century saw the introduction of diesel engines and the first high-speed trains. After diesel was patented by Rudolf Diesel in 1892, engineers began developing diesel engines for locomotives. The use of diesel proposed faster acceleration times, better fuel efficiency and less servicing. By the 1960s, diesel had almost completely replaced steam. 
• Not long after the introduction of diesel engines, operations for the first high-speed train in Japan (the Shinkansen) began in 1964. Today, there are many high-speed trains operating around the world that can reach speeds above 250mph.  speeds above 250mph.  

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