Nov 15th, 2019 : Thomas’ Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather

In 1829 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 2nd passenger line in the world, finished laying the rails but they were
unsure whether to use a self-propelled steam locomotive or a static winding engine to pull passenger wagons by cables.
The engineer in charge wanted Locomotives but some of the money-men and much of the public felt fire breathing,
smoke belching locomotives would explode or poison the air, at least set the countryside ablaze.

In the end they decided to hold a 6 day competition in the village of Rainhill for the best locomotive that would do the job.
Each was to make 10 round trips along 1.75 miles of track hauling 3 times their own weight. After refueling do it again.
Water and fuel used were carefully recorded to calculate operating cost.
Strength + Power + Reliability + Speed = Winner



10 locomotives entered but only 5 showed up... along with 10 to 15,000 spectators.
Cycloped, a horse walking endlessly on a treadmill to generate power... nope.
Perseverance, damaged en route, 5 days of repair, could only do 6 mph... nope.
Then there were 3.



Sans Pareil was 140 kg overweight, but allowed prove itself, but after 8 trips cracked a piston. It performed well
enough to land a contract with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, who ran it for two years, before selling it to
the Bolton and Leigh Railway.

Reports say the crowd loved Novelty because they came out in large numbers to see it but it was also on Saturday.
Maybe they liked the 28 mph(45 km/h), but part of the reason for that is it was light... and weak.
Weaknesses caused multiple failures so it pulled out.
Then there was 1.



Rocket averaged 12 mph (19 kmph) with a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). It won because it was the only one
to complete the trials and perform the required tasks, but it was also a good design. George Stephenson was given
the £500 prize plus a contract to produce locomotives for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
That £500 would be about £43,219($55,670) today.

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If you want more information about the history of steam engines in the USA, you can have a look there:
https://www.american-rails.com/

On the other hand, you will get also a lot of information in the Grantville Gazette on how to create from scratch a railroad industry, but that it is another timeline...

Yes, this is 190 years ago and put GB out in front of the technology. But they didn't have room for long runs, or big mountains. The history of steam locomotives and railroads in the US was overcoming one obstacle after another, then when the trains went everywhere they had to go faster and haul heavier in a never ending competition.

The development of steam engines for stationary use and in automobiles is also interesting.

Here's a picture of the Rocket in the wild in 1910.