Locomotives of the Stockton and Darlington Railway facts for kids
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), which ran from 1825 to 1863, was super important in railway history! It was the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives. Its very first line connected coal mines near Shildon with the towns of Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. This exciting new railway officially opened on September 27, 1825.
At first, steam locomotives pulled the coal wagons, but passengers rode in coaches pulled by horses. Imagine that! Steam locomotives started pulling passenger carriages in 1833.
The S&DR company was taken over by the North Eastern Railway (NER) in 1863. At that time, the S&DR had about 200 miles (320 km) of track and around 160 locomotives. Even after the takeover, the S&DR continued to run somewhat on its own as the "Darlington Section" until 1876. The opening of the S&DR proved that steam railways were a great idea! People celebrated its anniversaries in 1875, 1925, and 1975. Today, much of the original railway path is used by the Tees Valley Line, operated by Northern trains.
Famous Locomotives of the S&DR
The Stockton and Darlington Railway had many locomotives over the years. Sometimes, a locomotive would get a new number, and its old number would be used for a brand new train! Here are some of the most famous and interesting locomotives from the S&DR:
| Number | Name | Wheels | Designer | Builder | Date introduced | Cool Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active, later Locomotion No. 1 | 0-4-0 | G & R Stephenson | Robert Stephenson and Company | 1825 | This was the very first locomotive to run on the S&DR! It's now kept safe at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. |
| 5 (2nd) | Royal George | 0-6-0 | Timothy Hackworth | Soho Works, Shildon | 1827 | This powerful locomotive was rebuilt from an earlier one called Chittaprat. |
| 25 (2nd) | Derwent | 0-6-0 | Timothy Hackworth | William and Alfred Kitching | 1845 | This locomotive is also preserved at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. |
What Happened to the Locomotives?
When the North Eastern Railway (NER) took over the Stockton and Darlington Railway (SDR) in 1863, the SDR had 157 locomotives. These locomotives were managed by a separate group until 1873. In 1873, many of the SDR locomotives were renumbered, usually by adding 1000 to their original number. By September 1875, 55 of the original SDR locomotives were still in use!
See also
- Darlington Works
- Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway
Images for kids
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Locomotion No. 1, one of the first steam locomotives.
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Royal George, a powerful early locomotive.
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The Derwent locomotive, preserved today.
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NER locomotive 164 Belfast.
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