Tuesday, February 12, 2013

'Coalbrookdale' steam locomotive of Richard Trevithick, 1803


Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) was an English engineer whose most significant contribution was to the development of the first high pressure steam engine, and he also built the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive. On 21 February 1804 the world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place as Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

The one shown here as drawn by Hergé (with  Tintin and Snowy) plus the drawing in the National Science Museum it was based on, was built for him by the Coalbrookdale company, but "little is known about it, including if it actually ran."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Richard Trevithick was Cornish not English!