George Stephenson, 'The Father of Railways'

摘要

While high-speed rail development continues around the world, let's take a minute to consider the achievements of George Stephenson (1781-1848) - "the father of railways" and inventor of the first commercial locomotive and other significant achievements. Born in England in 1781 near Newcastle, to illiterate parents and the son of a coal miner, there was no money available for formal schooling. So Stephenson did farm work, including cow-herding. Soon, at age 10, he's driving the horses that carry the coal carriages on the tramway going past his family's one room cottage. Everything in the area revolves around the local pit and the rapidly expanding coal industry. One of George's next jobs is picking stones out of the coal.