When did the Liverpool and Manchester Railway open?
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened on the 15th of September 1830, with termini at Liverpool Crown Street and Manchester Liverpool Road. It was the first inter-city railway in the world.
Questions about Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who designed and built the Liverpool and Manchester Railway?
George Stephenson was appointed principal engineer in June 1824 and oversaw construction. His assistant Joseph Locke managed the western section of the line. The original surveys were carried out by William James, who was later replaced after he declared bankruptcy.
Who was killed on the opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway?
William Huskisson, the Member of Parliament for Liverpool, was struck by the locomotive Rocket at Parkside near Newton-le-Willows on the opening day and died from his injuries at a vicarage in Eccles. He became the world's first widely reported railway passenger fatality.
What were the Rainhill Trials and what was their outcome?
The Rainhill Trials were a public competition organised by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway directors in October 1829 to determine which locomotives were suitable for the line. Ten locomotives were entered but only five competed on the day. The Rocket, designed by George and Robert Stephenson, was the only one to successfully complete the course, and Robert Stephenson and Company were awarded the locomotive contract.
How was Chat Moss crossed during construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway?
Engineers found the bog impossible to drain, so they used a design by Robert Stannard that floated wrought iron rails on timber in a herringbone layout. The track was supported across drainage ditches by empty tar barrels sealed with clay. About 70,000 cubic feet of spoil was dropped into the bog during construction, and the crossing was completed by the end of 1829.
What financial return did the Liverpool and Manchester Railway pay its investors?
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway paid investors an average annual dividend of 9.5% over its 15 years of independent existence, from 1830 until its absorption by the Grand Junction Railway on the 8th of August 1845. No subsequent British railway company matched that level of profitability.