❖ ‘Stephenson’ engine myth busted
New research shatters long-standing myth surrounding colliery locomotive’s origins and identity.
New research has finally solved one of railway history’s longest running mysteries – the true identity and origin of the Hetton Lyon.
Long believed to have been built by George Stephenson in 1822, an archaeological and archival survey of the locomotive by renowned early railway historian Dr Michael Bailey MBE and his colleague Peter Davidson – at the behest of the National Railway Museum – has concluded that the locomotive was in fact built in around 1849, after Stephenson’s death.
The mystery surrounding Lyon’s provenance first arose in 1902 when Lambton & Hetton Collieries, which owned both Hetton colliery and locomotive, claimed that Lyon was built by Stephenson in 1822 and the world’s oldest working locomotive, in what the research team dubbed “fake news”.
However, the resultant surge of interest in the locomotive as a supposed surviving Stephenson relic meant Lyon remained in colliery service until 1912 and resulted in its selection to head the 1925 Stockton & Darlington centenary parade, for which it was restored to steam by the LNER at Darlington. It was subsequently preserved, first at the LNER’s Queen Street museum in York, then Beamish, from where it was moved to Locomotion at Shildon in April 2019 ahead of its survey.
Dr Bailey said: “I am pleased that as a result of this project we have been able to solve the Hetton mystery and confirm the locomotive’s true identity. Although it would have been exciting to uncover links to early Stephenson engines, the benefit to us today is that this remarkable locomotive would undoubtedly have been scrapped were it not for the tall tales surrounding it.
“The result of the Hetton myth is that we have an early and unique example of an industrial steam locomotive which tells us a great deal about the construction of early engines and components. What is most surprising is that the myth endured for so long and that the durability of the outmoded designs enabled the engine to continue operating for such a long time.”
Lyon was one of three similar engines built between 1849 and 1854, along with classmates Lady Barrington and Fox. The trio were all named after local landowners;
Lyon was named after John Lyon, on whose estate the Hetton colliery was located. One of the key breakthroughs that proved it was not built in 1822 came when the team discovered that the technology needed to make long sheets of wrought iron plate used in Lyon’s boiler did not exist before the 1840s, ruling out an earlier construction date.
Dr Sarah Price, head of Locomotion, said: “It’s not every day that we have the chance to learn more about the stories of the early locomotives in our collection and I am really grateful for Michael and Peter for leading this project. Visitors have really enjoyed seeing them at work, asking questions and finding out more about the engine and the investigation.
“There are several other engines we would love them to have a look at and I hope we will be able to work together again soon. The findings of the Hetton project will help inform the way we tell the story of the early railways as we develop the wider Locomotion site in the coming years.”
The report recommends preparing the locomotive for the bicentenary of the Hetton Railway in 2022, budgeting for the safe removal of asbestos, allowing a programme of renovation, and the reassembly of connecting rods. Owing to its age and condition, Lyon will not return to steam.
The pair will publish the full results of their survey at the 7th Early Railways Conference in Swansea in 2021.