“At Least Ten Miles per Hour.”

As a matter of fact “Locomotion” and her sister engines proved to be scarcely equal to their task. On the level they behaved excellently; but some of the gradients proved too steep for them and in two sections of the line it was found necessary to instal stationary engines to haul the trains by means of ropes.

It was not long, however, before a more powerful locomotive was designed by a clever mechanic named Hackworth, who introduced several important improvements; and soon Hackworth's engine-the “Royal George”-had supplanted the two feeble locomotives on the Stockton and Darlington line.

Meanwhile-in 1826-a bill had been passed by Parliament for the construction of a railway between Liverpool and Manchester involving that stupendous feat of engineering skill, the bridging of Chat Moss-four miles of treacherous and changing bog twenty feet or more in depth-a feat which was so brilliantly executed under the direction of George Stephenson. It was at Stephenson's suggestion that a prize of £500 was offered for the best type of locomotive for the new line, the stipulation being that the engine must not weigh more than six tons, that it must have a speed of at least ten miles an hour, and be able to draw a load of twenty tons; and it must consume its own smoke.

For this competition a section of line near Liverpool was chosen, and five engines were entered appearing at the “starting post,” as many hued as Joseph's coat.

As ill-luck would have it, in these tests-which took place at Rainhill in October, 1829-four of the entrants failed rather disastrously. Hackworth's “Sanspareil,” a really fine engine, burst a cylinder and was obliged to retire from the contest; and Ericsson's “Novelty”-in spite of a very promising start, in which she attained a speed of thirty miles an hour-had to be withdrawn through boiler trouble, while the other two failed absolutely.