Great Britain is widely acknowledged as the "Birthplace of the Railways". In some ways it is this country's greatest gift to the world.

Britain's birthplace of the railways is North East England. However they were not invented overnight but instead come about via a gradual evolution of ideas, both in method of transport and use of steam power, which eventually resulted in the rail network we know and love today.

There were two main drivers to the development of the railways, coal and cotton. In the days when the roads were little more than muddy tracks. Rivers and coastal shipping were the main ways of transporting goods such as coal and cotton to their markets. However the difficulty was how to get these goods to the rivers and coastal ports in the first place. The answer was waggonways and later the railways.

In Britain, waggonways using wooden rails were first laid in the early 17th century. Their purpose was to carry coal from the pits to the nearest navigable river. Waggonways were a primative affair consisting basically of wooden tracks laid on land sloping down to the nearest river. Loaded waggons were carried downhill by gravity to the water's edge where their contents were loaded onto barges.  Horses then pulled the empty waggons back uphill. The earliest recorded "waggonway" was a line 3.2 km (2 miles) long at Wollaton near Nottingham. It was built by Huntingdon Beaumont between 1603 and 1604. A few years later he introduced waggonways in the Newcastle area.

Over a century later the Ravensworth Waggonway in County Durham built the world's first railway viaduct in 1727 when it extended its line across Tanfield Moor. Known as the Causey Arch, it had a span of 31 m (102 ft), was 18 m (60 ft) high, and was built to the design of Ralph Wood - a local stone mason. The Causey Arch survives to the present day and is now a key attraction on the preserved Tanfield Railway (www.tanfield-railway.co.uk).

All these pioneer waggonways were laid over private property. In 1758 the Middleton Railway, a private colliery line near Leeds, became the first railway to be authorised by Act of Parliament. This allowed it to extend the line beyond its owner's boundaries. However conditions were imposed including the requirement that adequate fencing should be provided to protect the public accidentally stumbling onto the tracks. This regulation still has to be complied with by today's privatised railways and Network Rail over 200 years later! The Middleton Railway, the world's oldest working parliamentary railway still exists today as the preserved Middleton Railway (www.middletonrailway.org.uk).

By 1800 there were about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) of industrial railway in Britain. However it was the development of their successors over the next period that was to change Britain forever and revolutionise transport across the world.

By this time the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and iron became key to the future development of the railways. In 1767 the pioneer Coalbrookdale Ironworks in Shropshire first strengthened wooden rails by fitting cast iron plates to them. Later iron rails were forged in Sheffield. The old waggonways with their wooden rails were notorious for waggons constantly slipping off the track. William Jessop invented the system where the rails were square but the waggon wheels had flanges on their inside edges. The wheel rims ran along the top of the rail and the flanges fitted inside keeping them on the track. This principle behind Jessop's rail is still used by the railways of the world today in the 21st century. So it certainly has stood the test of time!

However despite iron rails becoming into existance allowing waggons to move easily and efficiently along the railways. The motive power still was the horse. So in stepped the development of the steam locomotive. In 1712 Thomas Newcomen built a stationary beam engine worked by steam power to pump water from a mine at Dudley Castle. It was a huge affair and too large to run on rails. Then James Watt built a separate condenser, which meant that the cylinder could be closed off and steam pressure could be used to move the piston. James Watt and his partner Matthew Boulton patented this invention.

By 1800, Watt and Boulton's patents on the steam powered piston had expired. Therefore Richard Trevithick developed their invention to its logical conclusion: the steam locomotive. As a result he has been rightly called "The Father of the Steam Locomotive". His legacy and achievements are now kept alive by the Trevithick Society based in his home county of Cornwall (www.trevithick-society.org.uk).

His first attempt at a steam locomotive was a road carriage nicknamed "Captain Dick's Puffer". On its first outing it performed well speeding along at 12-16 kph (8 to 10 mph). Unfortunately they adjourned to a local pub and left the "Puffer" outside. However toasts went on and outside the new engine's boiler boiled dry and the contraption exploded. It was a sad end to a glorious day.

Then in 1803 Richard Trevithick built a railway locomotive at the famous Coalbrookdale Ironworks. However the story of this locomotive is unclear and there is little knowledge about where it actually operated. But it was certainly the world's first steam locomotive. His second locomotive was built at the Pennydarren Ironworks near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. The Pennydarren locomotive made its first run in 1804. It worked well but crunched up the track due to its weight. Trevithick's third locomotive was ordered by Wylam Colliery in the North East. Again it was too heavy for the poor quality track.

But despite their failings Trevithick's locomotives did prove that iron wheels could run on iron rails. Another key invention of his was the chimney which carried away exhaust steam and improved the draught to the fire.

In 1801 the Surrey Iron Railway opened and was the world's first public goods line.

On the 29th June 1804 the Oystermouth Railway was incorporated by Act of Parliament to carry passengers from Swansea along the Gower Peninsular to Mumbles. On the 25th March 1807 it became the first railway in the world to carry fare paying passengers. They were hauled by horses though. So the steam locomotive and the railway had not been combined as a package just yet.

Finally Trevithick's final engine was the "Catch me who can" which ran merrily round its circular track in Bloomsbury, London (then green fields) in 1808 as a novel attraction. It was popular with the Regency crowds but its attraction eventually waned. Richard Trevithick then emigrated to South America, made his fortune, lost it and returned to Britain penniless and sadly died in a Dartford hotel. A sad end for the "Father of the Steam Locomotive".

Meanwhile serious experimental work returned to the North East. The Napoleonic Wars had forced up the price of animal fodder and the colliery owners were looking for new ways to save money and if replacing horses with steam engines was the answer then so be it. In 1812 Matthew Murray built the world's first commercially successful steam railway locomotive and ran it on the Middleton Railway near Leeds. This engine was named "Salamanca" after a recent battle in the Peninsular War when the Duke of Wellington had defeated Napoleon's forces. The "Salamanca" developed ideas of Trevithick's but ran on a new rack and pinion track system developed by John Blenkinsop which linked into a cogwheel on the locomotive. However rack and pinion would only prove to be popular for mountain railways with their very steep gradients rather then for general use on the railways. However Murray and Blenkinsop had proved that the steam locomotive was more economical than using horses. People travelled from far and wide to see this locomotive including Tsar Nicholas of Russia and one George Stephenson from Killingworth Colliery near Newcastle upon Tyne.

George Stephenson had become engine wright at Killingworth Colliery and had made a name for himself servicing their new stationary pumping engine. In 1814 backed by Lord Ravensbourne, owner of Killingworth Colliery, George Stephenson starting building locomotives. His first was the "Blucher", named after the commander of the Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo, took to the rails in 1814.

Meanwhile William Hedley, manager of Wylam Colliery, was also building engines. They were based on those the colliery had ordered from Trevithick but which had been too heavy for the rails. Hedley's locomotives were nicknamed "Grasshopper", "Wylam Dilly" and "Puffing Billy". The "Grasshopper" first steamed in 1813. Today both the "Wylam Dilly" and "Puffing Billy" locomotives are preserved. "Wylam Dilly" is preserved in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (www.nms.ac.uk), while the "Puffing Billy" is preserved in the Science Museum, London (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk).

Meanwhile Stephenson continued to build locomotives for Killingworth and the nearby Hetton Colliery. However the problem still was that the iron rails were poor quality and couldn't stand the weight of these new engines. Finally in 1820 new wrought iron rails were introduced and at last there were rails that could stand the weight of these new steam locomotives. Then it was on to his next triumph.

The Stockton & Darlington Railway received its Act of Parliament in 1821 and George Stephenson was appointed Engineer. He quickly convinced the directors that steam locomotives should be used on the new line. However who should built them? In August 1823 Stephenson set up the world's first railway locomotive builder which was Robert Stephenson & Company of the Forth Street Works, Newcastle upon Tyne. The company was managed by Robert Stephenson, son of George Stephenson. The Forth Street Works survive today in the custodianship of the Robert Stephenson Trust as the Stephenson's Works, Newcastle upon Tyne (www.stephensonsworks.org.uk). On the 27th September 1825 the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened. Crowds cheered as steam locomotive "No 1 Locomotion" steamed out of Brusselton, through Shildon and down to Stockton with George Stephenson at the controls. The steam locomotive "No 1 Locomotion" is now preserved at the Darlington Railway Centre & Museum (www.drcm.org.uk). The train consisted mainly of wagons with planks fitted temporarily for passengers on this special opening day. However there was a real purpose built railway passenger carriage named "Experiment". So for the first time ever a steam locomotive hauled passengers on a public railway. The Stockton & Darlington Railway was a success. However certain aspects of it belonged to the past. On the 10th October 1825 the "Experiment" began running every day except Sundays as a passenger train service. However it was pulled by horses. The new steam locomotives were confined to the goods trains. Also the Stockton & Darlington Railway was open for use by anyone who owned a wagon and a horse and wished to transport their goods along it themselves. So basically it was a toll railway. Therefore in a sense these early railways were no different from canals or turnpike roads which charged a toll or fee to everyone who used them.

The Stockton & Darlington Railway was the first steam hauled public railway in the world, but still had practices from the old waggonways combined with the new steam locomotive age. It was the end of the beginning of the railways. The next development took the railways to how we know them today as a railway that operated only its own trains, to a strict timetable and on its own tracks. This was the railway of the future.

Cotton was the boom industry of North West England, just as coal had made its mark on the North East. From 1780 to 1820 production of cotton goods had increased hugely and India, the traditional supplier of raw cotton, had been superceded by the southern states of America which sent their shipping to Liverpool. From there the raw cotton was taken to the dark satanic mills of Manchester where it was refined and spun. Finally the finished product returned along the same route to be exported from Liverpool.

However this constant flow of materials needed efficient and reliable transport. In 1760 the Duke of Bridgewater built a canal system (the Bridgewater Canal) to carry the goods. But roads were still poor and soon demand in goods and passengers increased so that the transport could cope. As a result the solution was to build a railway. Thus was born the idea of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. George Stephenson was appointed to lead the project. However there was much opposition from local landowners. Eventually the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was approved by Act of Parliament.

However in building the line they had to overcome obstables such as Chat Moss, the broad Sankey Valley and the solid rock that barred their entrance to Liverpool. A great cutting was cut through the solid rock to gain entry to Liverpool and this became known as the Olive Mount Cutting and the broad Sankey Valley was bridged by a great stone viaduct known as the Sankey Viaduct. So by 1828 construction was well advanced.

However the final question to resolve was what form of power should haul the trains. The directors decided to hold a locomotive trial over a 4 km (2.5 mile) stretch of the completed line at Rainhill. The participating locomotives had to pass tests including power, efficiency and economy and the winning locomotive would be chosen to haul the trains on the new Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Thus was born the Rainhill Trials.

The Rainhill Trials commenced on the 6th October 1829 and thousands of spectators came to watch the wonder of the age. Five engines were entered in the trials. The most famous of them all (and the ultimate winner) was George Stephenson's "Rocket" built by Robert Stephenson & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne. The Rocket is now preserved in the Science Museum, London (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk). Then there was Timothy Hackworth's "Sans Pareil". The Sans Pareil is now preserved at the Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon (www.locomotion.uk.com). "Novelty" was a creation of John Braithwaite and John Ericcson (a Swedish army officer) and was based on a road fire engine. John Dixon, Stephenson's assistant, commented that it looked like a "tea urn"! The other two participants were Timothy Burnstall's "Perseverance" which was hopelessly outdated and was damaged when it fell off its road vehicle that was transporting it to the site and finally there was T. Brandreth's "Cylopede" which was basically a horse treadmill on wheels!

To start with "Novelty" seemed the front runner and wowed the crowds with speeds up to 25 kph (28 mph). But the Rocket fulfilled all the conditions of the trial. It hauled 12.5 tons at a steady 19 kph (12 mph) and ran on its own at 24 to 47 kph (15 to 29 mph). It then completed the all important 10 runs of the track hauling three times its own weight. Eventually the other entrants failed with leaking joints and various other difficulties. Meanwhile the Rocket, whisked up and down the track every time one of these disasters happened as it to rub it in! So the Stephensons' won a famous victory.

On the 15th September 1830 the Liverpool & Manchester Railway was ready for its grand official opening. This was an event of national celebration. The Duke of Wellington, Prime Minister and Hero of Waterloo, headed the VIP guests. Instead of converted waggons they travelled in ornate passenger carriages. The great cavalcade set off from Liverpool and steamed majestically through the Olive Mount Cutting. Eight locomotives, all built by the Stephensons, ran in procession using both tracks. George Stephenson himself drove the "Northumbrian", his latest engine. It was a triumphant day.

Sadly the day was to end in tragedy. During a water stop at Parkside the guests were told to not get off the train. However despite this warning, many guests got off and strolled about the tracks as if out for a walk in Hyde Park. The Duke of Wellington called the local MP, William Huskisson, to his carriage to offer his hand in friendship. As he stood by the Duke's carriage there was consternation among the guests as a locomotive was bearing down on them on the second track. Guests scattered but William Huskisson seemed dazed and didn't know what to do. Unfortunately he ended up clinging onto the Duke's carriage door. He sadly was hit by the locomotive "Rocket" and his leg was run over. Quickly the "Northumbrian" and a carriage whisked Mr Huskisson to Eccles for medical help but it was all in vain and William Huskisson sadly died. He was the first passenger to be a victim of a railway accident.

Sadly the now mournful procession continued on its way to Manchester. When they arrived in Manchester the Duke of Wellington was booed by the crowed who held him responsible for the Peterloo massacre of demonstrators in the city 11 years previously. As a result the waiting banquet was cancelled and the saddened party returned to Liverpool. So it was a triumphant day which sadly was marred by tragedy. Today the Manchester end and the station at Liverpool Road in Manchester is home to the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry (www.msim.org.uk).

However history shows us the true importance and significance of that day in 1830. The Liverpool & Manchester Railway was the world's first real inter-city railway. It was purpose built to carry both passengers and freight over a double track line of metal rails. Trains were hauled by steam locomotives from the beginning and ran to advertised timetables. It was the world's first inter-city railway. The journey from pioneer waggonway to modern railway was complete.