Steam Engine

Richard Trevithick was born in 1771 and was called "disobedient, slow and obstinate" by his school teacher who believed Richard's future wasn't looking successful. Trevithick picked up on engineering by wandering around the mines where his father worked, and so by age 19, he was employed as a consulting engineer. In 1779, he had began making his first models of high-pressure engines, searching for a way to by-pass James Watt's steam engine patents which were soon going to expire. In his models, the steam from the cylinders was expelled into the air, which allowed the condenser to be unnecessary. This also allowed more power. In 1801, Trevithick built his first road engine at Camborne. Unfortunately, it had a short life. Another steam locomotive was constructed in 1803 which ran several times in London. He then decided to turn his attention to railways. In 1804, Richard Trevithick won a bet of several thousand dollars by hauling ten tons of iron over ten miles of track in his steam-driven locomotive. News of the success was quickly spread throughout Britain.

Railroads had created industrial growth because they gave manufactures a cheap way to transport their materials and finished projects. It created many jobs for railroad workers and miners, and boosted England's agricultural and fishing industries which allowed people to transport their products to distant cities. Railroads also made travel easier, allowing people to take distant city jobs, and to resort in the countryside.

Richard Trevithick's Steam-Driven Locomotive