In 1781, George Stephenson was born in a village called Wylam in northern England. His father was a coal miner and his mother a housewife; neither could read or write.
Like his parents, Stephenson never attended school. At the age of eight, he began herding cattle for others. By ten, he was doing odd jobs at the coal mine, and at fourteen, he started working alongside his father underground. Due to his impoverished background and lowly origins, Stephenson's childhood was spent enduring ridicule, yet he never took the mockery to heart.
Working in the coal mine, Stephenson experienced the harshest of labors, and he made up his mind to invent a machine that could transport coal without human power. In 1801, an Englishman named Trevithick built the first steam locomotive. During its test run, the locomotive ran not on rails, but on a road. Many mocked Trevithick, saying, "Your train isn't even as fast as my horse-drawn carriage!" Enraged, Trevithick abandoned his efforts to develop the locomotive.
But Stephenson became intrigued. He sought out Trevithick, asking to learn from him how to build trains. Trevithick replied, "If you don't mind being laughed at, go ahead and develop the train yourself. I'll never do such a foolish thing again." Stephenson pondered: the steam engines in the mines could pump water out of deep shafts, and Trevithick's locomotive could pull loads of over ten tons—where did this power come from? Through careful observation and repeated reflection, he uncovered the secret: the train's ability to haul heavy loads and run fast relied entirely on the "strongman" steam engine.
To master the principles of steam engines, Stephenson endured hardship and traveled a long distance, walking over 1,000 kilometers to Scotland, the homeland of James Watt, where he studied and researched for a full year. After summarizing and learning from predecessors' experiences and mistakes in building steam locomotives, Stephenson finally built his first steam locomotive, the "Blücher," in 1814.
In July of that year, Stephenson conducted his first test run. The locomotive ran on smooth tracks, carrying a 30-ton load and pulling eight carriages. It stayed on the rails during operation, but its speed was very slow. Without springs installed, the vehicle shook violently when moving.
People mocked Stephenson: "Your machine isn't even faster than a horse-drawn carriage!" Others said, "It's useless for hauling cargo, but it's louder than thunder and frightens all the cattle and horses!" Some officials who had previously supported steam locomotive trials now began to oppose them, declaring that using steam locomotives as transportation was impossible.
Stephenson, however, did not become discouraged by the less-than-ideal test run. He continued to research and improve the locomotive. On September 27, 1825, Stephenson's "Locomotion No. 1" underwent a trial run on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Many worried for Stephenson, fearing this test might end in another failure, while others waited eagerly to see him fail.
As Stephenson operated the locomotive, the steam engine roared, sucking in large amounts of air and releasing steam with a loud hiss. People scattered in alarm; elders, women, and children were terrified, believing the locomotive would explode at any moment. After observing for a while and seeing no explosion, they cautiously moved closer. Immediately following the train were four carriages pulled by horses, filled with workers, clearly demonstrating the stark difference in power between the two modes of transport.
This was the world's first public railway, and the train racing along it became the "monster" that caused a sensation throughout Britain and the Western world. The success of this trial run ushered railway transportation onto the stage of history.
Yet some remained terrified. At the time, an American newspaper even published articles opposing the use of trains. Nevertheless, nothing could stop the rapid development of the railway, as the wheels of human civilization rolled swiftly forward.