Mention early steam trains and most people think about the Rocket, Stephenson's pioneering locomotive that was to shape the design of future steam trains for years to come. However, this was in 1829, four years later than a more signifcant milestone.
Whilst not a major part of the railway company's business, the Stockton & Darlington Railway operated the first steam powered train service to carry fare paying passengers on the 27th September 1825. The locomotive that hauled this first service was called the Locomotion and was also engineered by George Stephenson - it still stands to this day in its home town of Darlington.
To celebrate this great engineering event the Bishop Aukland Amateur Radio Club (BARAC) is organising the National Railways on the Air Weekend on the 27th/28th September.
The club hopes to be operating their own special event station, GB2EVR, at the Eden Valley Railway and are encouraging other Amateur Radio operators to establish stations at other preserved railways during the weekend. Anyone interested should visit the BAAC site.
| Notes | None |