Stephenson’s rediscovered plans for railway in museum display
ONE OF the world’s most historically important railway artefacts has been rediscovered after more than 50 years, and is going on display at the National Railway Museum in York.
For the first time, members of the public will be able to see detailed plans by George Stephenson – known as the father of the railways and the inventor of the ‘Rocket’ – for the world’s first passenger railway to use locomotives.
The plans are included in a notebook belonging to the pioneering railway engineer, dating from 1822, which was found by John Page, a records assistant at Network Rail’s archive in York.
It outlines Stephenson’s redesign of and budget for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and became the blueprint for the railways that followed.
Mr Page uncovered the notebook, which had not been seen since the 1950s, while searching for documents in the archive’s deeds room in April. There are about 20,000 documents on the shelves.
“It has sat on a shelf unnoticed amongst hundreds of other packets,” Mr Page said. “Purely out of curiosity (I) decided to look through the packets, and there it was, and what a thrill it was to find.”
The notebook, bound in its original form and written in ink with pencil annotations, shows Stephenson’s survey of fellow engineer George Overton’s original 1821 line and the amendments he recommended to it. It is going on display until December 28 as part of the museum’s Highlights exhibition in the Great Hall.
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chair of Network Rail, said: “George Stephenson’s original survey of the Stockton and Darlington Railway ushered in the railway age, not only in Britain, but around the world. Network Rail is delighted and proud to have found this astonishing artefact, and very pleased to have it displayed by our friends at the National Railway Museum.
“Then, as now, railways were essential to creating economic growth, jobs and housing.”