George Stephenson

About the George Stephenson

George Stephensonwas an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the “Father of Railways”, Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called “Stephenson gauge”, was the basis for the 4-foot-8+1/2-inchstandard gauge used by most of the world’s railways.

Pioneered by Stephenson, rail transport was one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century and a key component of the Industrial Revolution. Built by George and his son Robert’s company Robert Stephenson and Company, the Locomotion No. 1 was the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. George also built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use locomotives, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830.