George Stephenson

George Stephenson was born in 1781 and become known as known as the 'Father of the Railways'. Born into a North East mining community he started life working in the local colliery. He was illiterate until his late teens as his family were too poor to afford to send him to school. 

As a pioneer railway engineer he had to build the rail tracks, and design bridges cuttings and viaducts. In 1829 his steam locomotive The Rocket won a competition to decide who would build the engines for the newly formed Liverpool and Manchester Railway company. His rail gauge is still the worlds standard gauge and his statue in the NRM looks down on all the work that followed on from his early efforts. Wonder what he would have thought of the Japanese Bullet train?