The Rocket was designed and built by George Stephenson of the Liverpool and Manchester railway in 1829. A common misconception is that the Rocket was the first steam locomotive. Truth is; the first steam locomotive to run on tracks was built by Richard Trevithick 25 years earlier, however it was not a financial success.

In 1829 Stephenson’s Rocket won a competition for locomotive power at the Rainhill Trials on the Manchester & Liverpool Railway. All the other competitors broke down so a true result is a bit hard to tell; however in winning Rocket did fulfill the key requirement of the contest that a full simulated 56 mile (90-km) round trip under load be completed with satisfactory fuel consumption.

However, the Rocket’s major claim to fame is that it was the first ‘modern’ locomotive, because it introduced several innovations that were used on almost every steam locomotive built since. George Stephenson had built steam locomotives before 1829. The Rocket was in some ways an evolution, not a revolution.

Rocket used a multi-tubular boiler. This resulted in more efficient and effective heat transfer between the exhaust gases and the water. Previous boilers consisted of a single pipe surrounded by water. The Rocket also used a blastpipe for the first time. This used the blast of exhaust steam to induce a partial vacuum to pull air through the fire.

Stephenson’s Rocket was capable of hauling a coach filled with passengers at 24 mph (39 km/hr). It pulled a load of three times its own weight at the rate of 12.5 mph (20 km/hr). The Rocket could haul 12.75 tons at 14 mph. It set a world speed record of 35 mph.

The Rocket still exists and can be seen in the Science Museum, London. There is also a replica in the National Rail Collection at York.

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