Trevithick's Penydarren locomotive runs on rails (1804)

Richard Trevithick's high-pressure steam locomotive, built at Penydarren Ironworks, made its historic first run on the Merthyr Tramroad on 21 February 1804. This event, driven by a bet with Samuel Homfray, involved hauling iron and passengers from Penydarren to Abercynon, marking the first locomotive-hauled railway journey.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Samuel Homfray, Master of the Penydarren Ironworks, commissioned Richard Trevithick in 1802 to build a high-pressure steam engine. In 1803, Trevithick sold his locomotive patents to Homfray. The Merthyr Tramroad, opened in 1802, connected the Penydarren and Dowlais Ironworks to the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon, providing the infrastructure for the locomotive's operation.

The Bet. Homfray was so impressed with Trevithick's locomotive that he made a bet with Crawshay for 500 guineas so that it could haul 10 tons of iron along the Merthyr Tydfil Tramroad from Penydarren to Abercynon, a distance of 9.75 miles (15.69 km).

The Run. On 21 February 1804, amid great public interest, the locomotive successfully completed the journey. It carried 10 tons of iron, five wagons, and 70 men over the full distance in 4 hours and 5 minutes, achieving an average speed of 2.4 mph. This established the locomotive as the first to work on rails.

People involved

Sources

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