Northumbrian was a a 0-2-2 steam locomotive built by Robert Stephenson & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1830 for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
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| Northumbrian built by Robert Stephenson & Co for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway |
Stephenson's Locomotives
George Stephenson's first locomotive was constructed in 1814 in the colliery workshop behind Stephenson's home in Killingworth, near Newcastle upon Tyne. The engine, called Blücher hauled coal waggons on the Killingworth colliery railway. Stephenson would continue to improve his designs and it is thought he built 16 locomotives at Killingworth, for use in that colliery or for the Hetton colliery railway in Durham.
George Stephenson with his son Robert, partners Edward Pease and Michael Longridge established the first locomotive works in the world, the Forth Banks Works, in 1823. The original factory occupied eight acres adjacent to Forth Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, much of its machinery being designed and built by George Stephenson.
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| Robert Stephenson & Company Forth Street Locomotive Works |
The first locomotive built at the Forth Street works was named Locomotion which was destined for the Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened in 1825.
Liverpool and Manchester Railway Rainhill Trials
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company was founded on 20 May 1824 and George Stephenson was appointed principal engineer. After initial problems in establishing the route, which resulted in the Bill to authorise the railway being rejected in Parliament, a second Bill received Royal assent on 5 May 1826 and construction began.
As the L&MR approached completion in 1829, the directors of the company held a competition to decide who should build the locomotives for the line. The locomotive trials were conducted in October 1829 along a 1 mile (1.6 km) length of level track at Rainhill, in Lancashire.
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| Liverpool and Manchester Railway Rainhill Trials October 1829 |
Five locomotives entered the competition, but only Stephenson's Rocket completed the trials. As a result the L&MR awarded the contract for the building of it's locomotives to Robert Stevenson and Company.
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| Stephenson's Rocket |
NORTHUMBRIAN
Northumbrian
Robert and Stephenson Coy. 0-2-0
Robert and Stephenson Coy. 0-2-0
The Northumbrian was one of the batch of locomotives built by Robert Stephenson & Co for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, following the awarding of contracts to the company as a result of George Stephenson's Rocket winning the Rainhill Trials.
The locomotive configuration was a 0-2-2, the same as Rocket, it would be the last locomotive of that configuration built by Robert Stephenson & Co.
The Northumbrian incorporated a number of new features that developed the Rocket's design;
- Plate Frames
- Firebox incorporated into the boiler, and smokebox full diameter of the boiler
- Near horizontal cylinders providing smoother running
- Purpose built tender incorporating water tank and coal bunker
TECHICAL DATA
Towing capacity: 720 kg
Axle load: 2.95 kg
Displacement: 280 x 406 mm
Boiler heating area: 38 m²
Steam pressure: 3.5 kg/cm²
Grill surface: 0.75 m²
Fuel (coke): 1 t
Water: 1.8 m3
Mass on free wheels: 2,950 kg
Tender mass: 7,470 kg
Total mass: 11,500 kg
Total length: 7,315 mm
The firebox design of a full diameter of the boiler with integral firebox would be the configuration used in all future steam locomotives.
Opening of Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M) opened on 15 September 1830.
Eight special trains would take the passengers the 31 miles (50 km) from Liverpool to Manchester. The locomotives used being Northumbrian, Rocket, Phoenix North Star, Dart, Comet, Arrow and Meteor.
The Duke of Wellington's special train would be hauled by Northumbrian (Stephenson's most advanced locomotive at the time).
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| Liverpool and Manchester Railway Northumbrian |
The Duke of Wellington arrived at Liverpool Crown Street Station at 10:00 and he and his entourage mounted their carriages for the journey. No locomotives worked from Crown Street, the trains were moved to and from the Edge Hill cutting by gravity and cable.
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| Liverpool Crown Street Station Cable and gravity system |
The opening was signalled by a gun firing, and at 11:00am the brakes were released on the carriages of the Duke's train and they slowly rolled down the incline through the Crown Street tunnel to Edge Hill. There the carriages were coupled to Northumbrian , which would run on the southern of the L&M's two tracks, the other seven trains would run on the northern track.
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| Opening of Liverpool and Manchester Railway Northumbrian with Duke of Wellington's Train |
Northumbrian then train commenced it's journey from Edge Hill to Manchester driven by the L&M's chief engineer, George Stephenson.
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| Opening of Liverpool and Manchester Railway Northumbrian leaves Edge Hill |
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| Opening of Liverpool and Manchester Railway Northumbrian |
After 17miles (27 km) the trains made a scheduled stop at Parkside for the engines to take on water. During the stop, William Huskisson, a politician who had previous disagreements with the Prime Minister, decided to use the opportunity to try to reconcile their differences. Alighting from the train on to the adjacent track he was knocked over by Rocket. Northumbrian and a flat waggon were detached from the Duke's train, the injured Huskisson placed on the waggon and taken to Eccles.
Northumbrian headed to Manchester to obtain medical assistance, to no avail as Huskisson died of his injuries.
The Duke of Wellington wanted to halt proceedings, however he was persuaded to continue onto Manchester. The three carriages of his train on the southern track were attached by chain to Phoenix and North Star on the northern track and the makeshift train set off for Manchester.
Nearing Manchester the makeshift train met Northumbrian coming form the opposite direction on the southern track. The Dukes carriages were once again connected to Northumbrian, and proceeded to Manchester arriving just before 3:00 pm.
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NORTHUMBRIAN
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| Northumbrian |
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| Liverpool and Manchester Railway Northumbrian and Carriages |
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The Pleasures of the Rail-Road Caught in the Rail-Way
The opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway was not viewed by everyone as being a welcome development. Caricaturist Henry Heath portrayed the mayhem that the railway would bring. His caricature depicted Northumbrian scattering terrified men, women and children in its path. A fallen man lies underneath the locomotive, and ladies in billowing gowns race to escape.
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| The Pleasures of the Rail Road - Caught on the Railway |