Locomotives of the Stockton and Darlington Railway

rdf:langString Locomotives of the Stockton and Darlington Railway

rdf:langString The 1825 to 1863 Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington, and was officially opened on 27 September 1825. While coal waggons were hauled by steam locomotives from the start, passengers were carried in coaches drawn by horses until carriages hauled by steam locomotives were introduced in 1833. The company was taken over by the North Eastern Railway in 1863, transferring 200 route miles (320 route kilometres) of line and about 160 locomotives, but continued to operate independently as the Darlington Section until 1876. The opening of the S&DR was seen as proof of the effectiveness of steam railways and its anniversary was celebrated in 1875, 1925 and 1975. Much of the original route is now served by the Tees Valley Line, operated by Northern. Locomotives were sometimes renumbered, and the old numbers re-used for new locomotives. The following list does not include all renumberings.