Locomotive’s explosive tale spans history of railways
THE American ancestor of a 19th century railway worker has rediscovered a fascinating family connection to a dramatic Leeds explosion with the help of the world’s oldest model locomotive.
Lisa Roger journeyed more than 5,000 miles from her home in Phoenix, Arizona to Leeds Industrial Museum to see the attraction’s remarkably detailed model of Salamanca, made by the city’s famed engineer Matthew Murray.
The model, made in 1811, already has its own place in railway history, being the oldest of its kind anywhere in the world and a replica of Murray’s very first commercially viable steam locomotive. At least two others were made, with one being given by Murray to the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia when he visited Leeds in 1817.
But for Ms Roger, the model has a special connection to her heritage too, after her research discovered her third great-grandfather, George Hirst, worked as a rope haulage brake operator on the fateful day its full-sized counterpart exploded in Middleton, Leeds more than two centuries ago.
She said: “I come from a long line of George Hirsts, and I still remember as a child my dad telling me that the Hirst men have been in engineering for a long time, so when I started researching my family history, I thought I might find something with that link. But I certainly never expected to discover something so dramatic.”
Detailed records and newspaper reports from the time reveal that on the afternoon of February 28, 1818, Salamanca had been transporting coals on the railway near Middleton.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing steam issuing from the joints of the engine’s boiler, suggesting higher levels of pressure than usual.
A short time later, the boiler erupted in a huge explosion, which sadly killed the engineer George Hutchinson.
Ms Roger’s research revealed that her ancestor George had been operating the stationary engine brake at the top of a nearby incline that day, and he had corroborated the accounts of other witnesses.
The explosion was so shocking, that a Parliamentary committee was also later convened, where the famous railway pioneer George Stephenson suggested the driver may have tampered with the engine’s safety valve.
Up to that point, Salamanca and her sister engines had revolutionised the transport of coal, proving a massive commercial hit, with each engine selling for £350.
Coun Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “The history of Leeds is filled with so many extraordinary stories and inventions. It’s always amazing to hear how those stories have also influenced and inspired people across the world and how much Leeds and its unique heritage has a truly global legacy.”