Locomotion No 1

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Locomotion No. 1

Image courtesy of Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
Power type	Steam
Builder	Robert Stephenson and Company
Build date	1825
Configuration	0-4-0
Career	Stockton and Darlington
Retired	1857
Disposition	static display at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum

Locomotion No. 1 (originally known as the Active) is an early British steam locomotive. Built by George and Robert Stephenson's company Robert Stephenson and Company in 1825, it hauled the first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway on September 27, 1825.

[edit] Overview

It was effectively a beam engine on wheels with vertical cylinders. It was one of the first locomotives to use coupling rods rather than chains to drive its 0-4-0 wheel arrangement.

In 1828 the boiler exploded, killing the driver. With advances in design such as those incorporated into Stephenson's Rocket, Locomotion became obsolete very quickly. It was rebuilt and remained in service until 1841 when it was turned into a stationary engine. In 1857 it was preserved. Locomotion No 1 was on display in Alfred Kitching's workshop near Hopetown Carriage Works from 1857 to the 1880s. From 1892 to 1975 it was on display on one of the platforms at Darlington's main station, Bank Top. The locomotive is now on display at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, located in the same building as Darlington's North Road railway station, on long-term loan from the National Railway Museum. It is now part of the National Collection. There is a replica of the locomotive at Beamish Museum.

[edit] See also

• Locomotive No. 1 New South Wales first locomotive.

[edit] External links

• Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
• Photograph of Locomotion at the Darlington Railway Museum
• Postcard of Locomotion at the Darlington Bank Top station in 1959
• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RAlocomotion.htm

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