George Stephenson

George Stephenson (9 June 1781 - 12 August 1848) was an English civil and mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the Father of Railways, Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and having a thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called 'Stephenson gauge', was the basis for the 4-foot-8+1⁄2- inch (1.435 m) the standard used by most of the world's railways. Pioneered by Stephenson, rail transport was one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century. Built by George and his son Robert, the Locomotion Number 1' was the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the Stockton & Darlington, in late September 1825. George also built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use locomotives - the Liverpool and Manchester Railway that opened in 1830.