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Rocket locomotive

Rocket locomotive

1829

Railway bridge section

Railway bridge section

1850

Stephenson's Rocket

Stephenson's Rocket

1829

Steam locomotive No. 1 'Locomotion', Stockton & Darlington Railway

Steam locomotive No. 1 'Locomotion', Stockton & Darlington Railway

1825

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Timothy Hackworth, 17 March 1829

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Timothy Hackworth, 17 March 1829

1829-03-17

Model of Britannia tower on Britannia Bridge, 1850

Model of Britannia tower on Britannia Bridge, 1850

Letter from Robert Stephenson to Henry Kingsford of Canterbury & Whitstable Railway dated 12 June 1830

Letter from Robert Stephenson to Henry Kingsford of Canterbury & Whitstable Railway dated 12 June 1830

1830-06-12

Goblet, glass, to commemorate the opening of the Newcastle High Level Bridge, for the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway, 16 January 1850.

Goblet commemorating the opening of the Newcastle High Level Bridge, 1850.

1850

22 letters from Robert Stephenson to Samuel Smiles, 1854-1858, along with a 14 page essay on the construction of the Rocket. The letters give Smiles information for his biography 'The Life of George Stephenson' and details about Robert's own career. 21 of the letters and the essay are in Stephenson's own hand, 1 is only signed by him.

Letters from Robert Stephenson to Samuel Smiles 1854-1858

1854-1858

'A Plan of the Darlington Railway with part of the County of Durham'. Robert Stephenson. 1819. Scale 1" 3m. Original hand-drawn and -coloured plan by Stephenson, made after his survey of the proposed Stockton and Darlington Railway in Feb 1819. The plan belonged to Francis Mewburn, the company's first solicitor and the first railway solicitor in the world, and it bears a note in ink in his hand: 'The Railway here described was mater[iall]y altered in 1821'. The map shows a line from Stockton to Darlington, continuing to West Auckland and Witton Park. The first Act for the line was obtained 19 April 1821, the works were begun 13 May, the first rail was laid 22 May 1822 and the line was opened 27 September 1825.

A Plan of the Darlington Railway with part of the County of Durham'

1819

Book, Minutes of Evidence ... on the London and Brighton Railway Bills (Engineering Evidence), by Robert Stephenson, George Bidder, John Rennie and Joseph Locke, published by the House of Commons, printed by Hansard & Sons, 1836, hard covers, 454 pages.

Minutes of Evidence on the London and Brighton Railway Bills

1836

[Letter] 1852 Dec 24, 24 Great George Street, Westminster [to] Dr Andrew Ure, 25 Keppel Street / Rbt. Stephenson. 4p. on 1 leaf. Holograph signed. Concerns his role in the introduction of tubular bridge and that of Mr Fairbairn. On SM negs. 481-4/89]

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Andrew Ure, 24 December 1852

1852

[Papers, 1815-1869, relating to the winding-up of the estate of Robert Stephenson MP. 1 box. Full listing available.]

Papers relating to the Estate of Robert Stephenson

1815-1869

'A plan of the Railway or Tramroad from the River Tees at Stockton to Witton Park Colliery... And also a Plan and Sections of several New or Additional Branch Railways or Tramroads proposed to be made from the said Main Railway' R Stephenson, engineer; J.Dixon, surveyor. 1823. Scale 1" : 1m. Published by Wm Miller, Edinburgh, 1823.

'A Plan of the Railway or Tramroad from the River Tees at Stockton to Witton Park Colliery...', 1823

1823

Indenture, parchment framed in glass and wood, Indenture of William Paisley as an apprentice to Robert Stephenson, 27 September 1845. Seven year indenture, to be computed from 3 January 1843 to 3 January 1850, for William Paisley to be apprenticed to Robert Stephenson for managing a lathe, drilling machine and planing machine, erecting machinery and vice work. Signed by Robert Stephenson, William Paisley and his father Thomas, witnessed by W.H. Budden. Printed form by M. Benson of Dean Street,

Indenture of William Paisley as an apprentice to Robert Stephenson

1845-09-27

Graphometer made by the railway engineer Robert Stephenson, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, 1819-1821

Graphometer by engineer Robert Stephenson, British, 1819-1821

1819-1821

[Letter] 1828 Jul 7, Liverpool [to] Timothy Hackworth, Railway Office, Darlington / Rob. Stephenson. [2p. on 1 leaf. Letter refers to rumours, 'not favorable to the Locomotive Engs.', which had reached the Directors of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He asks if there is any sound basis for the statement that horses were beating the engines off the Stockton and Darlington line. On SM negs. 429-31/89]

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Timothy Hackworth, 7 July 1828

1828-07-07

Works plate from wheel of Robert Stephenson's 0-2-2 locomotive "Rocket", reading "R. Stephenson & Co. Newcastle Tyne". Likely made and added to the locomotive in 1862 while being prepared for display at the Patent Office Museum, South Kensington.

Works plate from wheel of Robert Stephenson's 0-2-2 locomotive 'Rocket'

1862

Works plate from wheel of Robert Stephenson's 0-2-2 locomotive "Rocket", reading "R. Stephenson & Co. Newcastle Tyne". Likely made and added to the locomotive in 1862 while being prepared for display at the Patent Office Museum, South Kensington.

Works plate from wheel of Robert Stephenson's 0-2-2 locomotive 'Rocket'

1862

[Holograph letter, 1822 Feb 13, Killingworth Colliery to Mr. Brewin, Halesowen / R.S. (i.e. Robert Stephenson), giving 'the velocities at which my Father recommends his Locomotive Engines to move' with 12 waggons, each carrying 3 tons. He also gives details of loads on gradients, and of rails. 2p. on 2 leaves. On SM negs. 487-8/89]

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Mr. Brewin, 13 February 1822

1822-02-13

[Letters (3)] 1848 [&] 1849 [to] Capt. [Constantine] Moorsom/Robert Stephenson. [/1: describes an unsuccessful attempt, due to fast tides, to float the first tube of Conway rail bridge using pontoons. First page bears engraving of Conway Castle and Bridge by W. Pritchard, Carnarvon; /2 he is exhausted by extensive rail travel; asks Moorsom to "bring the levels of the Carnarvon branch" adding that "it would be well for Forster and Clark to be in London at the meeting" too; /3 he hopes to attend Board meeting but has little to add. "I am doing everything in my power to press forward the preparations for floating" (the tubes of Britannia Bridge) but is "exceedingly anxious". Hydraulic presses are "progressing very rapidly".]

Letters to Capt. Moorsom RN/Robert Stephenson, re Conway and Britannia bridges

1848-1849

Section of cellular base of main span north tube from Robert Stephenson's (1803-1859) Britannia Bridge, Menai Straits. Completed in 1850, the two rectangular wrought iron tubes carried the Chester & Holyhead Railway over spans of 230 feet (70.1 metres) and 460 feet (140.2 metres). The bridge was destroyed by fire in 1970, but the piers re-used for a replacement railway bridge in 1972. A roadway was added above in 1980. See also 1929-614.

Section of cellular base of main span N tube from

[Letter] 1830 Jan 20, Liverpool [to] Curteis and Kingsford, Solicitors, Canterbury / Robert Stephenson. [Recommending Mr Greener as engineer for the Canterbury to Whitstable Railway and reporting on a proposed experiment to compare the performance of the Rocket and Wildfire locomotives on the Liverpool and Manchester line]

Letter, Robert Stephenson to Curteis & Kingsford, 20 January 1830

1830

[8 letters] 1824 Jun-1826 Jun [to his parents in] Newcastle upon Tyne / Robert Stephenson, [re his venture to Colombia as engineer-in-chief to the Colombian Mining Association. Each holograph signed. Mostly to his [step]mother; all concern his venture to Colombia as engineer-in-chief to the Colombian Mining Association, 1824-1827. First three letters, written before sailing, principally justify his decision to go; the five written from South America describe some of his difficulties at work, living conditions, animal and plant life etc. and express increasing longing to return to England. Almost complete transcriptions of all eight letters are available]

[8 letters] 1824 Jun-1826 Jun [to his parents in] Newcastle upon Tyne / Robert Stephenson

1824-1826