George Stephenson
Topic: The Age of Industrialisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
George Stephenson was an English engineer often called the "father of railways". He built some of the world's first public railways that used steam locomotives. His work helped start the railway age. Railway growth from the 1840s made iron and steel Britain's new leading industries.
Example
Stephenson engineered the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825) and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1830). The locomotive Rocket, built with his son Robert, won the Rainhill Trials in 1829 and ran on the Liverpool–Manchester line.
Don't confuse with
- James Watt: he improved the stationary steam engine (patented 1781), which was used in mines and mills. Stephenson put steam power on rails.