-
Period: to
First Industrial Revolution
The growth of industry in Great Britain, later the United Kingdom, required better transport, and up to around 1800, no new transport innovations were made. -
Period: to
Napoleonic Wars
One of the more major causes of the rise of railways, as the amount of horses killed would cause a decrease in transport by horses. -
Pen-y-Darren, Richard Trevithick
The first steam locomotive in the world.
- Average speed: 2.5 mph
- Cylinders: 1 -
Puffing Billy, Timothy Hackworth
The oldest still surviving steam locomotive in the world, and one of the first locomotives to use two cylinders.
- Boiler Pressure: 50 psi
- Max speed: 5 mph
- Cylinders: 2 -
Locomotion No. 1, George Stephenson
This locomotive was the first to run on the Stockton and Darlington railway, the first public railway in the world to use steam locomotives, also one of the first locomotives to use coupling rods.
- Tractive effort: 1,900 lbf
- Max speed: 15 mph
- Cylinders: 2
- Boiler Pressure: 50 psi -
Rocket, Robert Stephenson
Won the Rainhill Trials, which started a railway mania in Great Britain. Using many important features such as more boiler flues, allowing for more steam, and a single driver wheel pair.
- Max speed: 30 mph
- Boiler pressure: 50 psi -
Period: to
Railway Mania
After the success of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, a stock bubble appeared in the United Kingdom for more railways. 6,220 miles of track were built for railways spanning between Bristol in West Country, to railways into the Scottish Highlands. -
GNR Stirling Single, Patrick Stirling
The workhorses of Britain for the Great Northern Railway during the "Race to the North," an unplanned event where trains owned by different companies raced between London and Scotland, while claiming not to be racing. -
City of Truro, George Jackson Churchward
Famous for possibly being the first locomotive to go 100 mph, however, this is disputed and not official.
- Top speed: disputed, up to 102 mph
- Tractive effort: 17800 lbf -
LNER A1, Sir Nigel Gresley
The first confirmed locomotives to reach 100 mph, the only preserved locomotive, No. 4472 Flying Scotsman, has broken several world records, for example, first 100 mph, longest non-stop service on a steam locomotive, and several more, these would be rebuilt into the LNER A3s.
- Max speed: 100 mph
- Tractive effort: 29,835 lbf
- Power class: 7P6F -
LNER A4, Sir Nigel Gresley
The fastest steam locomotives in the world, holding the record since 1938 (although this is a tiny bit disputed by people who claimed that the American PRR T1 went even faster, supported only by testimony without any sort of information,) and were a major development of the LNER A3s.
- Max speed: 126.4 mph (semi-disputed, nobody cares)
- Tractive effort: 35,455 lbf
- Power class: 8P6F -
BR Class 55, English Electric
The diesel-electric locomotives that ran the East Coast Main line, going 100 mph and representing high speed railways in Britain for 15 years.
- Loco weight: 99 long tons
- Top speed: 100 mph
- Tractive effort: 50,000 lbf
- Fuel capacity: 900 imperial gallons -
Intercity 125, British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL)
The fastest diesel trains in the world, going at 148 mph. They were the pride of high speed rail in the UK, operating across the network.
-Top speed:
-125 mph in service
-148 mph record
-Tractive effort: 2x 17980 lbf
-Formation with TOPS Class 254 sets: Two locomotives plus eight carriages -
Intercity 225, BREL
Currently holds the record for fastest locomotives in the United Kingdom. These currently operate on the East Coast Main line.
-Top speed:
- 140 mph as designed
- 125 mph in service
- 161.7 mph as record
-Formation: One class 91 locomotive, nine Mark 4 coaches, and one Mark 4 Driving Van Trailer. -
Hitachi Super Express, Hitachi
Britain's newest high speed trains, currently operated by several train operating companies across the nation. These are electric multiple units, or EMUs. Statistics will be for the BR Class 800.- Formations: 5 cars or 9 cars.
- Car length: 26 metres
- Maximum speed:
- 125 mph in service
- 140 mph when modified
