Episode 1 of 1
Testing of Blücher at Killingworth
- When
- 25 July 1814
- Where
- Killingworth Colliery
George Stephenson tested his first locomotive, Blücher, at Killingworth Colliery on 25 July 1814, funded by colliery lessees.
The engine, designed for hauling coal on the wagonway, was constructed in the workshop behind Dial Cottage. It demonstrated flanged-wheel adhesion traction, hauling 30 tons of coal up a hill at 4 mph. This success established Stephenson's reputation as an engine designer.
Sources
- Killingworth locomotives Wikipedia, revision of 2025-02-08
- George Stephenson Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.