Stephenson tests his first locomotive Blücher

Background. George Stephenson was appointed engine-wright at Killingworth Colliery in 1812, improving coal haulage using fixed engines. He took interest in earlier experiments by Blenkinsop and Blackett. By 1814, he persuaded the colliery lessees to fund a 'travelling engine' for the wagonway. Blücher was the first of a series of locomotives Stephenson designed in 1814–16, which established his reputation as an engine designer and laid foundations for his later pivotal role in railway development.

Construction and Design. Blücher was constructed in the colliery workshop behind Stephenson's home, Dial Cottage, on Great Lime Road. The design was modelled on Matthew Murray's locomotive Willington, which Stephenson studied at Kenton and Coxlodge collieries. The engine was named after Prussian General Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, possibly referencing his rapid march at Waterloo, though the battle occurred in 1815.

Performance and Significance. Blücher was the first successful flanged-wheel adhesion locomotive, relying on contact between flanged wheels and rails for traction. It could haul 30 tons of coal up a hill at 4 mph. Its performance was recorded in the 1814 volume of the Annals of Philosophy. This success established Stephenson's reputation as an engine designer.