Saturday 27 September marked the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington railway, the world’s first steam railway in 1825. So where better to celebrate the anniversary than in the town where it all began, Darlington?
On entering Darlington and driving down North Road, the first signs that something truly special was taking place that day were the signs that stated that the road ahead was closed. Sure enough, when the road into Darlington town centre reached the junction with Albert Road, next to Hopetown it was blocked off.
There were huge crowds on both sides of the road, as I turned left along Albert Road and I soon realised why. Although not an official viewing spot, from here it was possible to catch a glimpse of the replica of Locomotion No. 1, the locomotive that made the historic journey two centuries ago.
I managed to park and was able to find a decent vantage point to see across a car sales carpark to the railway bridge, just to the south. And there it was, in all its retro glory, the replica of the No.1 Locomotion sitting on the bridge, with a number of old-fashioned carriages behind it.
Locomotion No. 1
It has been noted that the Locomotion No. 1, the celebrated engine for the original Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was built at George Stephenson’s at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1825. Built at a cost of £600, it was initially named Active.
To fill in some of the background, “George Stephenson was appointed as engine-wright at Killingworth Colliery in 1812 and immediately improved the haulage of the coal from the mine using fixed engines. But he had taken an interest in Blenkinsop’s engines in Leeds and Blackett’s experiments at Wylam colliery, where he had been born. By 1814 he persuaded the lessees of the colliery to fund a “travelling engine” which first ran on 25 July. By experiment he confirmed Blackett’s observation that the friction of the wheels was sufficient on an iron railway without cogs but still used a cogwheel system in transmitting power to the wheels. By 28 February 1815 Stephenson had made enough improvements to file a patent with the overseer of the colliery, Ralph Dodds. This specified direct communication between cylinder and wheels using a ball and socket joint. The drive wheels were connected by chains, which were abandoned after a few years in favour of direct connections. All of the improvements that George Stephenson had pioneered in the Killingworth locomotives were used on the design for Locomotion”.
Locomotion used a steam-blast in the chimney, derived from high-pressure steam from a centre-flue boiler. This was used to drive two vertical cylinders, enclosed within the boiler. The power was then transmitted downwards, by a pair of yokes above the engine through pairs of connecting rods. It is said that Locomotion No. 1, “made use of a loose eccentric valve gear, and was the first locomotive to use coupling rods to link its driving wheels together, rather than through a chain or gears.”
Back to Darlington
Meanwhile back in Darlington on 27 September, at least one person had come dressed for the event, a man dressed in a top hat and tails, looking like a gentleman of 1825 would have looked.
As I walked towards the town centre, there were even larger crowds at Cleveland Street, which was one of the ticketed viewing sites where there was a band playing and a festive atmosphere, as the sun fitfully fought its way through the clouds.
It was on then to the market square in Darlington, where there was a big screen, showing the progress of the No. 1 Locomotion replica, as it made its stately way towards Stockton.
Next to the large screen was the stage and when I arrived there, a large and appreciative crowd was being entertained by the Hurworth Concert Band. They played tunes by Queen and Barry Manilow among others, with about 100 people listening to the band and watching the film on the big screen.
There certainly seemed to be plenty of interest and pride in the anniversary.
Comment
At a time when there is so much division in our country and when there is a lot of despondency in our proud region, it was heart warming to see so many people taking such pride in one of our genuinely world-changing achievements; the invention of the railways.
It is right that we should take pride in such achievements, but at the same time let us look to the future and the innovations our and future generations of Northeast people can make.
As I have noted before when reviewing Hopetown in Darlington, of particular interest to me was a part of the museum, which concentrated on trains of the future and tackling climate change. The display shows visitors that Hitachi, based in the North East “have spearheaded the transition from diesel to battery run trains and how the “future of the railway starts here, powering a greener future”.
This is the spirit that we need in the Northeast; taking pride in our heritage, but then using it to inspire us to build a better and greener future for ourselves and others. The interest shown in the 200th anniversary celebrations in Darlington, suggests to me that can indeed happen.
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