George and Robert Stephenson

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2018

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a programme first broadcast on April 12th 2018, Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the contribution of George Stephenson (1781-1848) and his son Robert (1803-59) to the development of the railways in C19th. George became known as The Father of Railways and yet arguably Robert's contribution was even greater, with his engineering work going far beyond their collaboration. Robert is credited with the main role in the design of their locomotives. George had worked on stationary colliery steam engines and, with Robert, developed the moving steam engine Locomotion No1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. They produced the Rocket for the Rainhill Trials on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1829. From there, the success of their designs and engineering led to the expansion of railways across Britain and around the world. with Dr Michael Bailey Railway historian and editor of the most recent biography of Robert Stephenson Julia Elton Past President of the Newcomen Society for the History of Engineering and Technology and Colin Divall Professor Emeritus of Railway Studies at the University of York Producer: Simon Tillotson. This programme is a repeat

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the BBC.
0:02.0	Thanks for downloading this episode of In Our Time.
0:05.0	There's a reading list to go with it on our website,
0:07.0	and you can get news about our programs if you follow us on Twitter at BBC In Our Time.
0:12.0	I hope you enjoyed the programs.
0:14.0	Hello, in October 1829,
0:16.0	Georgian Robert Stevens improved that their steam locomotive rocket
0:19.0	could pull the trains on the planned Liverpool to Manchester railway
0:23.0	more reliably and much faster than any other.
0:25.0	More than that, they proved that these moving locomotives
0:28.0	were better than ones fixed to the ground
0:30.0	that pulled the carriages along cables.
0:32.0	The Stevens' success that month was the birth of the railway, as we know it,
0:36.0	a transport system that spread around the world and George became known as the father of railways.
0:41.0	Robert's son went on to eclipse him,
0:43.0	becoming the greatest engineer of his age.
0:45.0	Besides locomotives to build bridges, tunnels and bankments,
0:48.0	he set the mold for the great booster that railways gave to the industrial revolution.
0:53.0	When we did discuss Georgian Robert Stevens and R,
0:56.0	Colin DeVal, Professor Emeritus of railway studies at the University of York,
1:00.0	Julia Elton, Professor former president of the Newcomer Society for the Study of History,
1:05.0	the History of Engineering and Technology,
	...

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