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Stephenson was born in Wylam, [[Northumberland]], in north-east [[England]], the son of a coal-miner. He was illiterate until attending night-school as a yound adult, but his technical ability, intelligence and determination secured him employment at Killingworth Colliery, near [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. At Killingworth he built successful locomotives for the mine railway; in the 1810s he built the Hetton Colliery Railway (at that time, the longest railway line ever built at one time); and in the early 1820s was appointed engineer to the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the first public (ie not owned by a colliery), steam-powered (in part) line in the world. This was built to carry coal from the SW [[Durham]] coalfield to navigable water on the [[River Tees]], as well as other goods and passengers, and opened in 1825. In the later 1820s he was engineer to the [[Liverpool]] & [[Manchester]] Railway, which opened in 1830, and for which he developed the advanced steam locomotive [[Rocket]]. The L&MR was the world's first inter-city rail route, linking two of the fastest-growing cities of the [[Industrial Revolution]]. The line crossed flat, but not easy, terrain: the biggest problem faced by Stephenson was crossing the great bog of Chat Moss. Attempts to create an earth causeway across the bog were frustrated by its unexpected depth; instead, Stephenson laid the railway lines on floating wicker rafts.  

Stephenson was born in Wylam, [[Northumberland]], in north-east [[England]], the son of a coal-miner. He was illiterate until attending night-school as a yound adult, but his technical ability, intelligence and determination secured him employment at Killingworth Colliery, near [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. At Killingworth he built successful locomotives for the mine railway; in the 1810s he built the Hetton Colliery Railway (at that time, the longest railway line ever built at one time); and in the early 1820s was appointed engineer to the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the first public (ie not owned by a colliery), steam-powered (in part) line in the world. This was built to carry coal from the SW [[Durham]] coalfield to navigable water on the [[River Tees]], as well as other goods and passengers, and opened in 1825. In the later 1820s he was engineer to the [[Liverpool]] & [[Manchester]] Railway, which opened in 1830, and for which he developed the advanced steam locomotive [[Rocket]]. The L&MR was the world's first inter-city rail route, linking two of the fastest-growing cities of the [[Industrial Revolution]]. The line crossed flat, but not easy, terrain: the biggest problem faced by Stephenson was crossing the great bog of Chat Moss. Attempts to create an earth causeway across the bog were frustrated by its unexpected depth; instead, Stephenson laid the railway lines on floating wicker rafts.  

Stephenson went on to build numerous railway lines, mainly in northern and midland England, including the Birmingham & Derby Junction (1839), Manchester & Leeds (1840), North Midland (1840), and York & North Midland (1839).

Stephenson went on to build numerous railway lines, mainly in northern and midland England, including:

* Birmingham & Derby Junction (1839)

* Manchester & Leeds (1840)

* North Midland (1840)

He invented a miners' safety lamp similar in design to the contemporary Davy lamp of [[Sir Humphrey Davy]] but felt that issues of class in the England of the time prevented his getting proper credit for that achievement.

He invented a miners' safety lamp similar in design to the contemporary Davy lamp of [[Sir Humphrey Davy]] but felt that issues of class in the England of the time prevented his getting proper credit for that achievement.

George Stephenson was the father of the engineer [[Robert Stephenson]].

George Stephenson was the father of the engineer [[Robert Stephenson]].

[[category:engineers]]

[[category:engineers]]