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

CHAP. XVII.] OPENING OF THE DAELINGTON RAILWAY. 187
of the incline, a locomotive was in readiness to receive them,
Mr. Stephenson himself driving the engine. The train con-
sisted of six wagons, loaded with coals and flour ; after these
was the passenger coach, filled with the Directors and their
friends, and then twenty-one wagons fitted up with temporary
seats for passengers ; and lastly came six wagon-loads of coals,
making in all a train of thirty-eight vehicles. The local chroni-
cler of the day went almost out of breath in describing the extra-
ordinary event :— " The signal being given," he says, " the
engine started off with this immense train of carriages ;
and such
was its velocity, that in some parts the speed was frequently
12 miles an hour; and at that time the number of passengers
was counted to be 450, which, together with the coals, merchan-
dise, and carriages, would amount to near 90 tons. The engine,
with its load, arrived at Darlington, a distance of 8f miles, in 65
minutes. The six wagons loaded with coals, intended for Dar-
lington, were then left behind ; and, obtaining a fresh supply of
water and arranging the procession to accommodate a band of
music, and numerous passengers from Darlington, the engine
set off again, and arrived at Stockton in 3 hours and 7 minutes,
including stoppages, the distance being nearly 12 miles." By
the time the train reached Stockton, there were about 600 per-
sons in the train or hanging on to the wagons, which must have
gone at a safe and steady pace of from 4 to 6 miles an hour from
Darlington. " The arrival at Stockton," it is added, " excited a
deep interest and admiration."
The working of the line then commenced, and the results were
such as to surprise even the most sanguine of its projectors.
The trafllc upon which they had formed their estimates of profit,
proved to be small in comparison with the traffic which flowed
in upon them that had never been taken into account. Thus,
what the company had principally relied upon for their profit
Was the carriage of coals for land sale at the stations along the
line, whereas the haulage of coals to the seaports for exportation
to the London market, was not contemplated as possible. When
the bill was before Parliament, Mr. Lambton (afterwards Earl
of Durham) succeeded in getting a clause inserted, limiting the
charge for the haulage of all coal to Stockton-on-Tees for the