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Hackworth Family Archive
Hackworth Family Archive A cataloguing project made possible by the National Cataloguing Grants Programme for Archives Science Museum Group 1 Description of Entire Archive: HACK (fonds level description) Title Hackworth Family Archive Fonds reference code GB 0756 HACK Dates 1810’s-1980’s Extent & Medium of the unit of the 1036 letters with accompanying letters and associated documents, 151 pieces of printed material and printed images, unit of description 13 volumes, 6 drawings, 4 large items Name of creator s Hackworth Family Administrative/Biographical Hackworth, Timothy (b 1786 – d 1850), Railway Engineer was an early railway pioneer who worked for the Stockton History and Darlington Railway Company and had his own engineering works Soho Works, in Shildon, County Durham. He married and had eight children and was a converted Wesleyan Methodist. He manufactured and designed locomotives and other engines and worked with other significant railway individuals of the time, for example George and Robert Stephenson. He was responsible for manufacturing the first locomotive for Russia and British North America. It has been debated historically up to the present day whether Hackworth gained enough recognition for his work. Proponents of Hackworth have suggested that he invented of the ‘blast pipe’ which led to the success of locomotives over other forms of rail transport. His sons other relatives went on to be engineers. His eldest son, John Wesley Hackworth did a lot of work to promote his fathers memory after he died. His daughters, friends, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and ancestors to this day have worked to try and gain him a prominent place in railway history. -
Born in 1834 at Killingworth Hall, Northumberland, He Was The
Sir Lindsay Wood Born in 1834 at Killingworth Hall, Northumberland, he was the youngest son of Nicholas Wood, colliery owner and engineer who worked alongside George Stephenson during the early years of locomotive development as well as experimenting with a miners’ safety lamp. He was educated at Kepier Grammar School, Houghton-le-Spring and Kings College ,London. He served an apprenticeship as a mining engineer while working at the Hetton Collieries owned by the Hetton Coal Company. His father was manager of the Hetton Collieries and in 1858 Lindsay was appointed viewer (manager) of the North Hetton Colliery (Moorsley Pit). Shortly afterwards he became assistant to his father as manager of Hetton Collieries and when his father died in 1866 he became Managing Director of the Hetton Collieries which comprised the Lyons Colliery, Moorsley Colliery, the Hazard Pit as well as Eppleton and Elemore Collieries. He continued in this position until the company was sold in 1911 to Lord Joicey’s company. Lindsay Wood was married in 1873 to Emma Barrett of Heighington Hall near Darlington. They initially lived at Hetton Hall but moved to The Hermitage at Chester-le-Street. They had four sons and two daughters the eldest son being Mr. Arthur, Nicholas Lindsay Wood born in 1875. Mr Wood, like his father became a mining engineer and was also a captain in The Northumberland Artillery, a territorial regiment. In 1891 Mrs Emma Wood died suddenly in the late spring at the Hermitage, a great loss to the family. BY the 1870s Lindsay Wood was a managing partner in the North Hetton Coal Company as well as the Harton Coal Company. -
Nicholas Wood (1795 – 1865)
Nicholas Wood (1795 – 1865) Nicholas Wood was born at Ryton, a small village on the banks of the River Tyne. He was the son of Nicholas and Ann Wood and he was born on the 24th April 1795. His father was the mining engineer at Crawcrook Colliery close to Ryton, and it was he who would influence his son to follow in his footsteps. Nicholas junior attended the village school in Crawcrook and by 1811 he had started work as an apprentice colliery viewer (manager) at Killingworth colliery some miles to the east of his birthplace. It was here that he became a close associate and friend of the colliery enginewright George Stephenson. Early in their careers both became interested in a revolutionary safety lamp for miners. Wood followed up Stephenson’s work and made drawings of the lamp which eventually was referred to as the “Geordie Lamp” made under supervision by Stephenson. Stephenson who by 1815 had also become interested in the development of the locomotive “Blucher” at Killingworth encouraged Wood to take an active part in the development of the locomotive. Nicholas Wood designed a system of actuating valves and eccentrics for the locomotive and by 1818 he was carrying out experiments on the laminated springs and lubrication of the locomotive’s working parts as well as measuring. There is no question that Wood played a significant role in determining the best type of early locomotive while experimentation was going on. In 1814 he described a single cylinder machine with a flywheel at Wylam colliery as being very troublesome. -
Stephenson's Newcastle
Literary and Philosophical Society. Philosophical and Literary the Mining Institute and nearby nearby and Institute Mining the Robert left generous bequests to to bequests generous left Robert The Institution of Civil Engineers North East North Engineers Civil of Institution The that institution in 1847. In his will, will, his In 1847. in institution that who was Founder President of of President Founder was who 1849 and 1853 following his father father his following 1853 and 1849 of Mechanical Engineers between between Engineers Mechanical of also president of the Institution Institution the of president also of the Mining Institute and was was and Institute Mining the of Robert was elected vice president president vice elected was Robert was 15 years old. years 15 was commencing employment when he he when employment commencing INSTITUTION OFCIVILENGINEERS apprenticed to Nicholas Wood on on Wood Nicholas to apprenticed Robert Stephenson was was Stephenson Robert and friend of George Stephenson. Stephenson. George of friend and (manager), associate, colleague colleague associate, (manager), was a prominent Colliery Viewer Viewer Colliery prominent a was Wood Memorial Library. Nicholas Nicholas Library. Memorial Wood The building houses the Nicholas Nicholas the houses building The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers Mechanical and Mining of Institute England of North The 5 Stephenson’s Newcastle Stephenson’s ICE 200 ICE projections housing figures depicting Stephenson’s spheres of activity. of spheres Stephenson’s depicting figures housing projections The monument depicts George Stephenson on the pedestal with corner corner with pedestal the on Stephenson George depicts monument The widened in 1894. -
R O B E Rt S Te P H E N S O N • H Is to Ry ROBERT STEPHENSON AGREAT
ROBERT STEPHENSON A GREAT 19 TH CENTURY ENGINEER EARLY YEARS Robert Stephenson was born in a small cottage in Willington Quay, a few miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne, on October 16th 1803. His father was the now famous George Stephenson. At this time George was a brakesman at Ballast Hills Colliery, Willington Quay working on low-pressure stationary engines. In 1804 Richard Trevithick, the Cornish inventor of the high-pressure steam engine visited the area and called on the Stephensons in their small house. In that same year the Stephensons moved to a cottage in Paradise Row, West Moor near Killingworth because George had accepted work as a brakesman at the West Moor colliery which was owned by the Grand Allies (an alliance of powerful coal-owning families formed in 1726). Richard Trevithick continued to visit the Stephensons and in 1805 he demonstrated one of his new locomotives at Whinfi eld’s Pipewellgate works in Gateshead. Unfortunately in the same year Robert’s sister died and in 1806 his mother died. George was so upset he moved to Montrose and took up work there but he left Robert with Ann Snaith, George’s housekeeper. In 1808 Ann Snaith married Robert’s uncle also named Robert. George returned to Killingworth and set up a business to repair low pressure stationary engines and also went back to work as a brakesman. Robert Stephenson • History Cottage at Willington Quay, North Tyneside SCHOOL DAYS Robert was sent to school at Longbenton in 1810 because his father wanted him to be a “viewer” (mining engineer) in the mines and he was determined that Robert would have a proper education. -
George Stephenson
George Stephenson Early Life. On the 9th June 1781 in a small stone labourer’s cottage in Wylam, a few miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne, George Stephenson was born. The cottage was called High Street House, its location being on the old road between Wylam and Newburn. Although it had four rooms the Stephenson family occupied a single ground floor room. The colliery waggonway ran past the front of the house so it must have been a noisy location. George was the second son and he was followed by a further two brothers and a sister, all born within a few years of each other. Their father Robert was a Scotsman and he was employed as engine fireman at the nearby Wylam Colliery. He earned 12 shillings (60p) a week so the family were not exactly well-off. His mother Mabel was born into a family who came from the nearby village of Ovingham where her father George Carr was a dyer. In his younger years George would be familiar with the comings and goings along the nearby waggonway and it is likely that he came to recognise the men and horses which pulled the coal chaldrons (wagons). He would also have visited the colliery on a number of occasions even if it was only to take his father’s lunch bait (sandwiches). On the way to the colliery he would have passed another small cottage, the home of the Hackworth family, near to the colliery workshops. It was here that John Hackworth the foreman colliery blacksmith worked. It was in this small cottage that his son Timothy was born in December 1786 and it is remarkable how the lives of both George and Timothy would in later years become intertwined in the construction of locomotives. -
North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers
NORTH OF ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF MINING AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. TRANSACTIONS. VOL. XXIX. 1879-80. NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE: A. REID, PRINTING COURT BUILDINGS, AKENSIDE HILL. 1880 [iii] ERRATA. The translation of the Report mentioned on page 112 was placed at the disposition of the Institute by Mr. James Ashworth. On page 159, par. 3, line 9, for "which have been translated by Mr. C. G. Jackson," read " which has been translated by the writer with the co-operation of Mr. C. G. Jackson." CONTENTS OF VOL. XXIX. PAGE. Report or Council ............ v. Finance Report.................. ix. Account of Subscriptions ... xii. Treasurer's Account ......... xiv. General Account ............... xvi. Patrons.............................. xvii. Honorary and Life Members xviii. Officers ........................... xix. Original Members ............ xx. PAGE. Ordinary Members ............ xxxv. Associate Members ............ xxxv. Students ........................... xxxvii. Subscribing Collieries ...... xl. Charter.............................. xli. Bye-Laws........................... xlvii. Barometer Readings............ 249 Index................................. 257 GENERAL MEETINGS. 1879. PAGE Sept. 6.—Paper by Mr. John Daglisli, " On an Improved Expansion Gearing for Winding Engines" ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Discussed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 Paper by Mr. W. J. Bird, " Condensation in Steam Pipes" ... ... 7 Discussed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 Oct. 4.— Paper communicated by Mr. D. P. Morison, "Notes on Coal Dust Explosions" -
The Rainhill Trials on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
THE RAINHILL TRIALS ON THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY AN INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LANDMARK RAINHILL, ENGLAND INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS 14 SEPTEMBER 2016 Forward The Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), the world’s first inter-city railroad designed and built between its namesake cities for the efficient, commercial transportation of passengers and freight, was designated an International Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on 14 September 2016. While this was a joint designation, only ASME’s History and Heritage Program requires a written document describing a landmark’s features and significance. Accordingly, this brochure will focus on the mechanical engineering aspects of the railway, with the most significant aspect being the locomotive trials held at Rainhill during October 1829. The Rainhill Trials are one of the earliest known examples of an engineered program to evaluate competing machines in a real- world environment. All aspects of the Liverpool and Manchester contribute to its significance as an engineering landmark, including the company’s early decision to use only steam power to move trains. Any railway is an intimate combination of both civil and mechanical engineering, as neither the track nor the train would be of any use without the other. Significantly, this railway remains in active service. The rolling stock has changed many times since the line opened, and the modern trains are much heavier and faster than the line’s builders could have imagined, but the modern trackage is still supported by the original roadbed and most of the original bridges. -
Where Railways Were Born
WHERE RAILWAYS WERE BORN The Story of Wylam and its railway pioneers Philip.R.B.Brooks Wylam Parish Council First published in 1975 under the title “Wylam and its Railway Pioneers”. Revised edition published as “Where Railways were born” in 1979, with minor revisions in 2003. © Philip R. B. Brooks 1975, 1979, 2003. ISBN 0 9504646 2 7 The author and publishers wish to thank all that have assisted in the production of this book. Contents Eighteenth Century Beginnings – Construction of Colliery Waggonways 3 Early Years of the Wylam Engineers 4 The First Locomotives 5 The Stockton and Darlington Railway 9 The Rainhill Trails of 1829 10 Newcastle to Carlisle – The First Railway to cross Britain 11 Wylam Ironworks Locomotives 13 Achievements of the Local Pioneers 14 Industrial Decline 17 The Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway 17 1 A Century of Change 19 Bibliography 21 Events in Local and National Railway History 22 An Epitaph to Steam 24 Preface If the Northumberland village of Wylam is known outside the North East of England it is almost certainly because it was the birth-place of George Stephenson, the “Father of Railway”. Although “Wylam Geordie” – as Stephenson was affectionately know on Tyneside – is undoubtedly Wylam’s most famous “son”, several other important early railway pioneers have lived and also worked in the village, which was the scene of historic experiments with locomotives early in the 19th century. The major contribution which Wylam and its engineers made to the history of railways and the development of steam locomotives has not always been recognised. -
NEWSLETTER See Our Web Page at October 2010
NEWSLETTER See our Web page at http://www.rcgrs.com/ October 2010 Open House at the Blueberry one of those warm beautiful days that we often ex- Mountain Railroad perience in our area during late summer. The Rose’s have continued relandscaping around their Dennis and Carolyn Rose held a second open house house. this year to fill an open date in September. It was Blue Berry Mountain Saw Mill Lunch Time The Rainhills Trials of 1829 The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways, run Editor’s Note: The Rainhill Trials were an impor- in October 1829 in Rainhill, Lancashire (now Mer- tant turning point in the development of railroad seyside) for the nearly completed Liverpool and service. The following article is taken from several Manchester Railway. Wikipedia articles and other internet sources. 1 When the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was S The engine, with the carriages attached to it, shall approaching completion, the directors of the rail- be run by hand up to the Starting Post, and as soon way ran a competition to decide whether stationary as the steam is got up to 50 psi (3.4 bar), the engine steam engines or locomotives would be used to pull shall set out upon its journey. the trains. The Rainhill Trials were arranged as an S The distance the engine shall perform each trip open contest that would let them see all the locomo- shall be one mile and three quarters (2.8 km) each tive candidates in action, with the choice to follow. -
Railway and Canal Historical Society Early Railway Group
RAILWAY AND CANAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY EARLY RAILWAY GROUP Occasional Paper 254 A LOST MODEL OF A KILLINGWORTH LOCOMOTIVE . OR IS IT? John Liffen In his paper ‘The Stephenson Standard Locomotive (1814-1825): A Fresh Appraisal’, published in Early Railways 2, Jim Rees reproduced a photograph of a lost painting depicting Charles Sylvester, Joseph Sandars and George Stephenson together with a model of a Killingworth-type locomotive.1 He wondered whether the model still survived anywhere. In order to answer that question it is necessary first to examine the history and provenance of the painting itself and then to wonder instead if the model ever existed at all. (Fig 1) Fig 1: ‘Charles Sylvester, Joseph Sandars and George Stephenson’. Photograph of the painting by Spiridione Gambardella formerly in the permanent collection of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Image courtesy of Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool Libraries. 1 J Rees, ‘The Stephenson Standard Locomotive (1814-1825): A Fresh Appraisal’, in M J T Lewis (ed), Early Railways 2: Papers from the Second International Early Railways Conference (The Newcomen Society, London, 2003), pp. 177-201. 1 The painting depicts on the left Charles Sylvester, in the middle Joseph Sandars and, on the right, George Stephenson. Joseph Sandars (1785-1860), who holds prime position in the centre of the painting, was a Liverpool corn merchant and businessman who was, with William James, the early driving force behind the promotion of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&M). Charles Sylvester (1774-1828) was a civil engineer and contractor who was requested by the L&M committee in 1824 ‘to inspect the Locomotive Engines and the Rail- roads near Newcastle and Sunderland’ and to report back on them to the committee. -
EARLY RAILWAYS in SOUTH-WEST LANCASHIRE. EAIL-ROADS Or
EARLY RAILWAYS IN SOUTH-WEST LANCASHIRE. By W. H. Williams. Read 30 .March, i<)22. AIL-ROADS or Railways are not so modern as is E' generally believed. Mr. Nicholas Wood, C.E., in his treatise on Rail-roads (Second Edition, 1831, pp. n and 12) quotes thus from a work by a Mr. Gray published at Newcastle in 1649, a survey of Newcastle-on-Tync: Some south gentlemen hath, upon great hope of benefit, come into this Country to hazard their monies in coal pits. Master Beaumont, a gentleman of great ingenuity and rare parts, ad ventured into our mines with his ^30,000, who brought with him many rare engines not known then in these parts, as the art to boore with iron rodds, to try the deepnesse and thicknesse of the Coale; rare engines to draw water out of the pits; waggons with one horse to carry down coales from the pits to the stathes, to the river, etc.; within few years, he consumed all his monies, and rode home upon his light horse. Chorogmphia, 2^. Then Mr. Wood goes on to remark that considering the carts employed in conveying the coals were, in 1602, called " waynes," and the carriages introduced by Mr. Beaumont " waggons," and that ever since that period, the vehicles employed on rail-roads have been designated by the latter name (waggons), we may infer that the "waggon" of Mr. Beaumont was employed upon a railway and that he was the first to introduce them into the North. The date of the introduction of railways as a substitute for common roads at Newcastle, would then be between the years 1602 and 1649, probably a considerable time prior to the latter period, as we find Master Beaumont had gear.