RAILWAY ACTS

Reference and contact details: GB 0097 COLL MISC 0026
Title: RAILWAY ACTS
Dates of creation: 1826-1923
Held at: British Library of Political and Economic Science
Extent: One volume
Level of Description: fonds
Language of Material: English

Administrative/Biographical History

The proposed Liverpool & Manchester Railway was considered to be a serious economic threat to the Bridgewater Canal, which was making a fortune by shipping goods between Liverpool and Manchester. In 1826, after several years of debate, Parliament gave permission for the Manchester & Liverpool Railway to be built in 1826. Passenger trains started at the Crown Street Station in Liverpool and terminated at Water Street in Manchester. The directors of the Liverpool & Manchester company were unsure whether to use locomotives or stationary engines on their line. To help them reach a decision, it was decided to hold a competition where the winning locomotive would be awarded £500. The idea being that if the locomotive was good enough, it would be the one used on the new railway. The competition was held at Rainhill during October 1829. Each competing locomotive had to haul a load of three times its own weight at a speed of at least 10 mph. The locomotives had to run twenty times up and down the track at Rainhill which made the distance roughly equivalent to a return trip between Liverpool and Manchester. Afraid that heavy locomotives would break the rails, only machines that weighed less than six tons could compete in the competition. Ten locomotives took part. The "Rocket", built by George (1781 - 1848) and his son Robert Stephenson (1803 - 1859), won the competition. The Liverpool & Manchester railway was opened on 15th September, 1830.

Scope and Content

Collection of 20 private bills and acts relating to railways, including the Liverpool to Manchester Railway, and railways in Newcastle, County Durham and London.

System of Arrangement

One volume

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred from the BLPES pamphlet collection

Access Conditions

OPEN

Copyright/Reproduction

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