Stephenson's Rocket, steam-powered (Hornby G100)

Exhibit
Stephenson's Rocket, steam-powered (Hornby G100)
location:
Arch Two , Area 3 Toyshop Steam (display)

A large (3.5-gauge) model of George Stephenson's iconic 1829 "Rocket" locomotive, made by Hornby, complete with tender (and barrel) and matching yellow "Liverpool and Manchester Railway carriage".

With its yellow paint, white flared chimney, and large front drivewheels powered by 45-degree-angled pistons, Stephenson's Rocket is probably the most distinctive and easily-recognised member of the family of early steam locomotives.

The model is steam-powered, and displayed next to Hornby's contemporarily-styled leaflet giving the locomotive's history.

The original locomotive

Stephenson's "Rocket" was built for the Rainhill trials, and achieved a speed of 24mph, establishing the legitimacy of mobile steam locomotives (as opposed to stationary engines with winding gear), and triggering an explosion of railway-building and steam locomotive development.

The "Rocket"'s remains have been at the Science Museum, London since 1862 (inventory number: 1862-5). It's currently a rather sooty and charred-looking black, and not immediately recognisable if you're expecting so see a bright yellow engine, but it does still proudly show "No. 1" painted on its front buffer-board.

External links

• Scroll to the end of the page for photos of the Hornby model (mikes-steam-engines.co.uk)

• Remains of Stephenson's 'Rocket' (1829) on display, 2001 (sciencemuseum.org.uk)

Video

• What made Stephenson's Rocket so special? (guardian.co.uk) - John Liffen of the Science Museum talks to James Bruce of the Open University
• Stephenson's Rocket, description and animations (bbc.co.uk)