Stockton and Darlington Railway

The Stockton and Darlington showed that railways could move bulk freight, starting with coal, more cheaply than roads, and freight remained its main business. On opening day, Locomotion No. 1, built by Robert Stephenson and Company and driven by George Stephenson, hauled a train of coal wagons and passenger cars. Horses still pulled many trains in the early years, so it was a mixed system. Railways became the backbone of bulk and long-distance freight, and today intermodal trains carry containers long distances while trucks handle the first and last legs.

• Intermodal FreightFreight moved by rail and truck in one box
• First MileLeg from your warehouse to the carrier

• George Stephenson1781–1848 · Railway engineer and locomotive builder

• Industrial Revolutionc. 1760–1840 · Machines and factories replace hand production
• Bridgewater Canal1761 · A canal carries coal from Worsley mines to Manchester
• Liverpool and Manchester Railway1830 · The first inter-city railway runs on a timetable

1. Stockton & Darlington Railway britannica.com
2. Stockton and Darlington Railway en.wikipedia.org