Stuff You Missed in History Class George Stephenson, Father of Railways
Jan 28, 2026
A rags-to-riches inventor tale that traces a coal miner’s self-taught rise into steam engineering. They explore early locomotive builds like the Blücher and the game-changing steam blast. The story covers railway design challenges, the Stockton & Darlington line, Chat Moss engineering, and the Rainhill Trials that propelled the Rocket to fame.
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Humble Beginnings In The Mines
- George Stevenson grew up in a coal-mining cottage and started working at age eight in the mines.
- He learned machinery by hands-on work and made clay models of engines as a boy.
Lifelong Self-Education Fueled His Rise
- Stevenson taught himself to read and write starting at 19 and pursued structured self-education at night.
- That deliberate learning transformed his career and enabled technical advances later in life.
Fixing The Unfixable Engine
- George fixed a failing Newcomen pump at Killingworth after taking the engine apart and reassembling it.
- His repair convinced managers to promote him to enginewright with higher pay.
