Triumph and Death!


On September 15, 1830, the age of the railway begins !

One from the locomotive "The Rocket"...



...pulled train makes its inaugural run on the newly built line between Liverpool and Manchester...:





The "Rocket" - as the first locomotive in the world - was only developed shortly before that by the brothers George and Robert Stephenson...:





The new machine, which has an output of 21 hp, had previously won a selection race put out by the railway company "Liverpool and Manchester Railway" to find a suitable machine for the new route.

Now the train steams along the new route at a breathtaking speed of 47 kilometers per hour in front of thousands of curious spectators...:



The higher earners have compartments with windows and a roof, the simple folk sit outside!

Also in the audience is MP and Minister William Huskisson, who campaigned heavily for the construction of the Liverpool-Manchester railway line and mobilized the necessary funds...:



Huskisson is on a second train on the other platform, which has been made available as a viewing platform for better-off spectators.

For some reason, the compartment door that the minister was leaning against bursts open - Huskisson falls right in front of the oncoming "Rocket", gets run over and dies instantly!



Thus the age of the railway begins with the first death of railway traffic!

The railway company "L&M.R." names one of their wagons after Huskisson to commemorate. It is today to be seen at a museum...:



In addition, after the accident, the locomotive will be equipped with a front so-called "bumper beam" that is intended to prevent similar accidents in the future.

The beam can be seen in the next picture...:



The original locomotive - which is no longer operational - is now in the British Railway Museum...: