h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Stephenson's Rocket - A13635588
Author: Galigan - U1341611

You know the drill.

Hmmm... seems a bit short and if you're going to mention that the Rocket isn't as original as people think it is you should probably have a paragraph about Richard Trevithick.

Overall though this is good work with a lot of potential.

I'm working on another entry about him actually but I do think he deserves a mention in this one.

Dates have to be date, month, year, I think. So it should be 25 July, 1828. (sorry for the irrevelant nitpicky things; I'm a Sub, so it's often those sort of things that stick out to me).

A great Entry,

how did it win the trials ?


Did it actually go into service, if so how long did it last in service ?

My gripe with this Entry is that it doesn't explain why The Rocket was so significant. My understanding of this is due to its success in pulling heavy loads at 15mph, thus helping to demonstrate the commercial possibilities of railways.
You mention the multi-tubular boiler, but another innovation was the chimney itself, which increased the draught fo9r the fire.

When I first read this Entry, I had in mind that there had been a recent reconstruction of its first run, but I think this must've been the first passenger service between Stockton & Dalington? (I guess this must've been the 175th Anniv in 2000?

This is an interesting and valuable series of Entries you're embarked on BTW I haven't made much comment 'coz its not my area of knowledge (I daren't say 'area of interest' ,coz I find I'm interested in most things of historical significance )

Definately a needed entry.

But on a point or two - 10 engines entered, though only 5 actually competed.

Hackworth was also the designer of the Sans Pareil - which took part in the trial, and was performing well until it suffered a cracked cylinder pipe. Part of the controvery turns around the pipe being cast by a company owned by Stephenson.

Sans Pareil was also bought and used by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company.

I knew about the 10 locos going down to 5 but i hadn't thought about putting it in.

What was Hackworths first name? And was the Novelty purchased also? I know I should know this myself but I didn't know other engines had been bought.

It was Timothy Hackworth.
The other engines - Cycloped was powered by a horse walking on a belt - it was withdrawn when the horse fell through the floor of the engine.

Perserverance was damaged in an accident on its way to the trials, the cart carrying it overturned, the inventor spent the first 5 days fixing it, and it actually ran on the 6th day - the judges awarded it £25.

Novelty was the original leader, it was much lighter and faster than the others, and got up to 28MPH on the first day, but on the second day a boiler pipe was damaged by over-heating. To get at it the engineers had to partially dismantle the boiler, and when they rebuilt it, the cement didn't have time to dry, on the next run it cracked and Novelty was so badly damaged it had to retire.

Wow, thanks Mckay. I'll try and work all that in.

You have a lot of good work here Galigan.

You say that "... the first person to build a steam powered vehicle was Richard Trevithick..."

Is this striclty correct? What is it about Cugnot's creation of 1769 that you would exclude it from the set of "steam-powered vehicles"?

http://pages.zoom.co.uk/elvis/cugnot.html

Well, I suppose the deciding factor in that omission was the fact that I'd not heard of it. That section needs some editing methinks.

I've changed it to 'first steam powered locomotive'.

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