1001 Space Earth Nature History Human World Science and Technology Chemistry Materials Force and Energy Heat and Light Electricity and Magnetism Industry Machines Electronics and Computers Cars and Trucks Railways Ships Aircraft Fishing and Agriculture Undersea Exploration

Choose a Page:Which were the biggest locomotives...*Who built the first locomotives?*What were the first railways used for?What is the record speed for a train?What was the biggest gun train eve...When was the first underground rai...Which is the world's largest under...What does 'gauge' mean on railways?What is a monorail?How does streamlining speed up trains?Are steam trains still being built?What is the fastest train in use t...Which are the longest rail and met...What sort of motors power today's ... Who built the first locomotives? The first locomotive was built by Englishman Richard Trevithick in 1804. It weighed 5 tons and ran at 5 mph (8 kph), but was inclined to break the cast-iron rails it ran on. The next advance came in 1813 with George Stephenson's locomotive Blucher. In 1829 Stephenson built his famous Rocket, which reached a top speed of 29 mph (46.6 kph). Richard Trevithick's 1804 locomotive was the first machine to run on rails.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: Science and Technology Chapter: Railways