Michael R Bailey

In 1825 the Stockton & Darlington Railway began operations as the world’s first public railway to be operated by steam. The first train, which opened the railway on 27 September, was drawn by the locomotive that became known as LOCOMOTION No.1.It is from this origin that all public railways the world over developed to become the driving force behind economic progress. The brief history that accompanied the locomotive’s preservation in 1857 was both inadequate and factually incorrect.In anticipation of the railway’s bicentenary, a major archival and archaeological study was initiated by the National Railway Museum to establish the true history of the locomotive both in service and during retirement.Compiled by experts Michael R. Bailey and Peter H. Davidson, this is the story revealed by the study, correcting and expanding the historical record for future generations of railway enthusiasts and historians.

The steam locomotive is a machine that has inspired imagination, innovation and invention from the time of its origination and continues to evoke passion in enthusiasts today. Here Michael R. Bailey, expertly and in fascinating detail, describes the development of the steam locomotive during its pioneering first half-century until 1850 by exploring the surviving locomotives that may be seen in Britain, Europe, and North and South America. In addition to surviving relics, he also takes a look at operable replicas, which fill many gaps in international collections, to provide continuity in this evolutionary story.Exploring in depth each example’s operational and preservation history, along with design characteristics, component materials and modifications made, no detail is left unmentioned. With unparalleled detail, incredibly stunning images and a list of museums housing all of the world’s oldest locomotives, this truly is a volume that no student of railway history should be without.