10.1.7

Steam Trains

Test yourself

Steam Trains

The Industrial Revolution also saw the invention of the steam train, which made travel across the country much easier, and provided thousands of jobs.

Illustrative background for Richard TrevithickIllustrative background for Richard Trevithick ?? "content

Richard Trevithick

  • The invention of steam engines allowed for the invention of steam trains, which made travel across Britain much easier.
  • In 1804, an engineer called Richard Trevithick built the first functioning steam train, though it was very slow, travelling at less than 3 miles an hour.
Illustrative background for George StephensonIllustrative background for George Stephenson ?? "content

George Stephenson

  • It took several decades for a faster, more effective steam train to be built.
  • This was achieved in 1829 by George Stephenson, a self-taught engineer from Newcastle.
  • He had designed a steam train that was capable of travelling up to thirty miles per hour.
Illustrative background for The Railway AgeIllustrative background for The Railway Age ?? "content

The Railway Age

  • Stephenson’s steam train was launched the following year on the newly-completed Liverpool to Manchester railway, which began the Railway Age in Britain.
  • This railway was the first in the world that travelled between two cities.
Illustrative background for Expansion of the railway networkIllustrative background for Expansion of the railway network ?? "content

Expansion of the railway network

  • Trains continued to develop and improve; they could achieve speeds of up to sixty miles per hour by the 1840s and, by 1850, over six thousand miles of track had been laid across the country.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

Go student ad image

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

  • Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

  • Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

  • 30+ school subjects covered

Book a free trial lesson