The Rainhill Trials

During five days in October 1829 world history was made and travel would never be the same again. Organised by the directors of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the Rainhill Trials shaped the destiny of the railways and proved, once and for all, the supremacy of steam power. It was a contest not without controversy: claims of corruption were levelled at George Stephenson and Henry Booth because they were senior officials of the sponsoring railway company; Messrs Braithwaite and Ericsson only found out about the trials seven weeks before they were due to take place, and supporters of the bluff Timothy Hackworth blamed (incorrectly) the failure of his engine, the Sans Pareil, on faulty castings by Messrs Stephenson.Drawing on contemporary data and analysis of replica locomotives at the re-enacted Rainhill Trials, this book shows how the locomotive evolved between 1828 and 1830, and why Rocket was so successful.