The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

CHAP, xvn.] TRACTIVE POWEK. 185
Stephenson's most matured designs, and embodied all the im-
provements in the locomotive which he had contrived up to that
time. No. 1 engine, the "Active," which was first delivered
upon the line, weighed about eight tons. It had one large flue
or tube through the boiler, through which the heated air passed
direct from the furnace at one end, lined with fire-bricks, to the
chimney at the other. The combustion in the furnace was
quickened by the adoption of the steam-blast into the chimney.
The heat raised was sometimes so great, and was so imperfectly
abstracted by the surrounding water, that the chimney became
almost red-hot. These engines, when put to the top of their
speed, were found capable of running at the rate of from twelve
to sixteen miles an hour ; but they were better adapted for the
heavy work of hauling coal trains at low speeds—for which,
indeed, they were specially constructed—than for running at the
higher speeds afterwards adopted. Nor was it contemplated by
the directors as possible, at the time when they were ordered,
that locomotives could be made available for the purposes of
passenger travelling. Besides, the Stockton and Darlington
Railway did not run through a district in which passengers
were ever likely to constitute any considerable portion of the
traffic.
We may easily imagine the anxiety felt by Mr. Stephenson
during the progress of the works towards completion, and his
mingled hopes and doubts (though his doubts were but few) as
to the issue of this great experiment. When the formation of
the line near Stockton was well advanced, Mr. Stephenson one
day, accompanied by his son Robert and John Dixon, made a
journey of inspection of the works. His sony as we have said,
was about to set out for South America, having received an
appointment to superintend some mining operations in Colum-
bia, respecting which there was then a large amount of specula-
tion on foot. His health also had recently suffered through the
closeness of his application to work and study ; and his father,
hoping that he might derive benefit from the change of climate,
encouraged him to undertake the charge which was offered him.
On the day in question the party reached Stockton, and pro-
ceeded to dine at one of the inns there. After dinner, Mr. Ste-