Trevithick The Basics
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ส.ค. 2020
- The story of the world's first steam railway locomotive, built in South Wales by a Cornishman, and first run in February 1804. Sadly, we don't know what it looked like - something acdemics have been struggling with since the 1950s! In 2019 a re-assessment of the evidence provided a "best fit" suggestion as to its appearance and function. Enjoy!
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Trevithick is mentioned in the BBC TV historical Sitcom "Blackadder the Third" when Mr. E. Blackadder (Butler to the Prince Regent) is reading the jobs page in the Times, "A Mr. Trevithick has invented a self propelled kettle and is looking for a salesman to help market it".
A nod to the fact that steam railways began during the Regency period and not during the later Victorian times.
Haha. What episode was this in?
Excellent video. This man is one of my all time heroes. It is one of the greatest injustices that his massive contribution to steam traction has been so over shadowed by the likes of Stephenson and Watt. When ever poorly researched commentators talk about the history of steam, he barely gets a mention. Thanks for this, every student of industrial history should watch it.
Thanks. He does. He's considered a failure becuase he was a man ahead of his time. He also suffers, like other early pioneers, from not having had a family or "fan base" to argue his cause. Stephenson, Hackworth, Hedley all had family members, or admirers, to argue their cause. Trevithick... not so much other than his son, Francis who is equally over-looked and considered if not a failure at least ecentric because of his "Cornwall".
It's really sad that he died penniless.
well if hes ur hero im family with him my last name is actually trevithick
I must admit, it's things like this that make being an industrial historian in general and a railway historian in particular an utterly maddening area of study. In no other area of historical research has so much been accepted out of hand for so long, and indeed been presented in such a way as to form the basis of popular history, only to now be shown to be complete nonsense.
I must admit, good sir, that I am in awe at your ability to pursue this area of study with such passion and somehow remain sane.
He was a very very clever man.He just wasn,t part of the'in' crowd & that,s what held him back.
Good vid.
4:08 It won't ignore, bite or kick you, but it can potentially explode.
Good one. The whole Trevithick family is often sidelined in popular history, despite their influence and importance. Francis Trevithick and Richard Francis Trevithick having done lots of important work (and very successfully usually). R.F. Trevithick's work in Japan in particular is extremely interesting, and yet seems almost entirely forgotten and unappreciated outside of that country. It does strike me that because of Japan's peculiar situation, a Trevithick was once again in the position of pioneering rail travel, several decades after his father and grandfather had done so.
my last name is actually trevithick lol
Having read his biography, I think he was an incredibly fascinating man with a remarkable and somewhat tragic life story. He revolutionized the world, lived long enough to see his creation take off, but had to witness others capitalize on his invention which must've been heartbreaking. On top of that, I can only imagine the scandal and strife created when he left his wife and children for over a decade to work in South America.
He reminds me a lot of Ericsson - often the cleverest man in the room. Didn't suffer fools gladly. Very prickly and mercurial. Often Trevithick's biggest problem was Richard Trevithick. He was working at the cutting edge of technology, and it wasn't his fault if other people didn't understand or "get it". Undermined by the 'establishment' who branded him unsafe and dangerous. Short of money and needing influential supoprters. It's a shame that just as at the point in 1809 when he needed a new Sponsor, Trevithick turned down the offer from Captain Christopher Blackett of Wylam to build him a locomotive. Idiot! If he had accepted the offer....... oh well. Hindsigh is always 20/20
You have the best videos, this history lesson [as well as your others] is priceless! Jolly Good Show!
Wow, thank you!
From what I have been able to gather, Trevithick built several locomotives to the general plan or outline but different gauges and details. It has always been a catch-up of track and locomotive & cars in the railway world. At present in the US and mineral railroads the load on single wheels-on-rail tend to max out at 33,000 lbs which is getting into the plastic region of the stress-strain curve of rail steel.
It's funny that the painting (beautifully done, by the way - wish I knew the artist) of the Coalbrookedale Iron Foundry could stand in for an illustration of Mordor.
I just found your channel and I find it very interesting historic insight. I have tried to find out more about Trevithick's locomotives earlier and I also found tat there were too few sources really. The story goes that he just put a stationary steam engine on wheels and so invented the steam railway, but that might be simplifying things a bit. Limitations of rail strength and loading gauge, dynamic forces, all the potential problems had to be worked out by trial and error. It was a wild pioneer time but indeed he made some remarkable discoveries.
The most upto date research on Trevithick shows that his first locomotive at Penydarren was built as a railway locomotive and later converted to stationary use. If you've an interest in Trevithick, you should definately read the papers in the Early Railways 6 Conference proceedings. Michael Lewis in his book on the Sirhowy Tramway published only last year provides new insites, especially regarding the Penydarren engine's boiler. Which is really exciting as it shows there's still things to learn about Trevithick's locomotives. :-)
I have now read my copy of "Before Rocket" twice, fascinating era and developments, well researched, written and illustrated.
In 1801 Trevithick built his Puffing Devil road carriage, and accounts of its journey suggest very creditable performance, certainly a vastly superior machine to Gugnot's earlier Fardier. I wonder if his first "rail" loco might have been more similar to Puffing Devil than to his later locos? Is it possible he re-used the design of, or even some parts from Puffing Devil?
Thank you :-) Cugnot built two, if not three Fardiers a Vapeur. They worked quite well - the story of one going out of control and crashing into the garden wall of the Bishop of Paris has shown to be apocryphal. From what we know of the 1804 Locomotive it was clearly a new-build; the team who re-assessed all the evidence for the Penydarren Engine conclude it was specially built for Homfray and was intended from the outset to be built as a locomotive, to be as light and as user-friendly as possible. Hope this helps :-)
Really nice video! Loved it! 😁👍
Thank you! 😀
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory That's alright 👍
I have been a student of railway and locomotive history since the 1960s.
I've been able to import most of Mr. Dawson's books and found them very carefully researched and an easy read. The illustrations are of high quality and augment the text. Mr. Dawson covers the period of railway archaeology which I find most fascinating. While I have read many of the works -- now historical in themselves -- by the supporters and families of the pioneers, and well as Ahrens, Nokes and Dendy Marshall, I appreciate that Mr. Dawson's works summarize the most recent scholarship on the subjects. "Before Rocket", as well as his many others, is highly recommended. ... North Vancouver BC, Canada.
Gosh. Thank you very much indeed. I'm glad you have enjoyed them :-)
Wow. Interesting.
Excellent as always!
Thankyou :-)
Buried in Dartford Churchyard as he spent his last year's working for J&E Hall.
Excellent!! Thank you for the history lesson.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the super video. I’ve been on Trevithick's engine at the Victorian Village Museum, Ironbridge. Well worth a visit.
Isn't the cylinder. Rod and cross head opposite the smoke stack on the original?
Whoo, story of trevithic 😁
Another great video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Always been fascinated by early locomotives. Ordered the book. :-)
I Hope you enjoy it!
I've always loved steam but didn't know much about Trevithick until now 😁 thank you!
Any time!
The biography written by his son (part 1 and part 2) can be found as free epubs on Project Gutenberg,
Brilliant video, shame i'm a little late for the feedback.
Such a awesome story, the first ever steam engine and yet the man with the plan died alone and poor, such a damn shame, overshadowed and not so known these days, the engine was a brilliant idea and project, such a shame it was scraped
50 psi, 8.5" piston diameter, 54" stroke length, at 5 mph with a wheel diameter of c.48" (based on the drawing key and visible gear ratios) means an engine speed of approximately 35 rpm, and a total estimated output power of 31 kW (42 HP). Damn.
EDIT: If the wheel diameter was closer to 2.5' as shown in the second drawing, and the engine had "a few strokes per minute" as described, then the engine speed was likely closer to 90 rpm and the output power would be closer to 100 horsepower.
excellent. your videos have totally redirected my attentions from what i usually watch. have you done one on william murdoch's steam dalliances?
Richard Trevithick "The Cornish Giant" One aspect of his life that is often overlooked. Was his revolutionary political views.
Without Richard Trevithick it is unlikely that Simon Bolivar would have succeeded in removing the Spanish from northern South America. As Trevithick designed and built the machinery used to equip Bolivar's revolutionary armies.
In fact he became so indispensable to Bolivar the he was effectively a prisoner and unable to leave!
Also it is worth noting that James Watt thought that Richard Trevithick should have been flogged for his use of "Strong Steam"!
Trevithick was a Cornish Dissenter, and it certainly shows. He was a man not constrained by traditional modes of thought, and it shows. James Watt, too was a Dissenter - he was a Unitarian and a member of the Lunar Society which included Erasmus Darwin, Rev Dr Joseph Priestley, Josiah Wedgwood (all Unitarians) and all of them, in modern parlance, very left wing thinkers who embraced the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity... and as Priestley discovered when the mob burned his house, chapel and library and nearly lynched him, believing in equality was not popular in the 1790s :(
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory The Unitarians had a very considerable effect during the Industrial Revolution. One thinks of people like Sir Titus Salt at Saltaire north of Bradford.
Another group who had a prefound impact were of course the Quakers.
It is also often overlooked that these descenting religious sects were often heavily persecuted and excluded. As a result they went into buisness and industry as prior to the 19th Century reforms they were the only options open to them.
When it came to the locomotive and indeed the steam tug (his tug the 'Nautical Toiler' is usually forgotten) he failed to capitalise on his inventions. This was partly due to bad luck. But it was also partly due to his restless nature. Also of course he had signed away his locomotive patent rights which didn't help.
It is also regrettable that none of his locomotives have survived. But thanks to people like Tom Brogdan and others examples of both his rail and road locomotives have been recreated. Interestingly the former Rail Curator at the Science Museum John Van Riemsdijk believed that the preserved Trevithick "semi-portable" in the Science Museum collection built by Hazeldine of Bridgenorth is in fact 'Catch Me Who Can' (As 'Catch Me Who Can' was a Hazeldine -Trevithick "Semi-Portable" placed on wheels)
My late Father Maurice Kelly was very keen on this idea! Whilst this is a very nice idea! I do think however that isn't actually the case. I recall John Liffen telling me it was quite unlikely though. Also it appears that once it ceased to be a railway locomotive it was converted back into a "Semi-Portable" engine.
The late Stephen Buckland (who was extremely adept at locating all manner of interesting things!)
Alerted John Liffen to the existence of a wash by the artist John Claude Nattes of a Trevithick "semi-portable" in The Guildhall Library. In all likelihood it is 'Catch Me Who Can'.
@@DiegoLiger I know that Quakerism wasn't illegal but that did not stop "Officialdom" from viewing them with considerable suspicion and generally discriminating against them on many levels.
Particularly in the 17th and early 18th Century. Likewise I would agree that I suspect that there is a great deal to discover concerning the huge contribution made during the Industrial Revolution from individuals with descenting religious views and sentiments certainly from Thomas Newcomen onwards (if not earlier)
I also have to agree with John Liffen re the Trevithick "semi-portable" I have never thought that it was 'Catch Me Who Can' I was just pointing out what some other people have thought. Also you are quite correct. I have often wondered about the condition of the engine prior to its restoration by the LNWR.
As for Richard Trevithick yes like so many engineers he was not particularly effective when it came to business. Also he was extremely restless and once something had been achieved. He wanted to get on to the next challenge.
@@nicholaskelly6375 @DiegoLiger The odious Test & Corporation Act, and the rest of the Clarendon Code have a lot to answer for! (the joy of an 'Established' state religion). Dissenters 'thought outside the box', and were encouraged to think for themselves. As far as they were concerned, 'revelation was not sealed' and nor limited to the pages of a book. There was no conflict between science and religion and science was another tool for explortion 'god' and creation. Then again, engineering and later the railways were some of the few professions open to Dissenters: engineering had yet to be 'professionalised' with all the concomitant links to the Establishment that brought. So too the railways. Nor were there any links to the ancient guilds. It meant that they could move into new spheres and pretty much make them their own and certainly flourish. They were able to draw on a close-knit, often inter-married network of often very wealthy buisnessmen and investors to further their own businesses. Plus, given that no one 'respectable' would do business with let alone marry or apprentice to a Dissenter, they pretty much had to.
@@nicholaskelly6375 To be honest, Trevithick was his own worst enemy. He was very.... 'prickly'; quick to anger, hard to please. Very mercurial like a lot of these engineers were. I also think he was a little naive, especially in terms of monetising his inventions and left that to others who were less high-minded than he. I have to agree with John Liffen about the engine in the Science Museum. It's just too good a story. I think we all want to believe it - and wish it were to - but it's just not. The other problem with it is as to how much is original given Francis Webb had it 'restored' at Crewe. John's work on 'Catch me Who Can' has been remarkable and I've enjoyed his papers for the R&CHS and the Early Railways Conference.
Regarding the Quakers, they enjoyed more rights and liberties than Unitarians did as for a start Quakerism wasn't illegal and they could also marry according to their own rites and customs. Unitarian belief was illegal until 1813, and only partially tollerated thereafter. It's why so many Unitarian Chapels are hidden away, and try very hard not to look like places of worship. It's only after the Dissenter's Chapel Act of 1844 which gives the congregations a legal right to exist and own their buildings that you start to see the big, Gothick Revival Churches being built, especially in the North. Big, proud, solid buildings which rival or even better the local Anglican Parish Church. It's fascinating to my mind that James Watt, Richard Trevithick, George and Robert Stephenson were all Unitarians or associated therewith, altho' whilst George certainly did attend Hanover Sq. Chapel in Newcastle, whether that was due to belief, social cache or networking (or all three) we just don't know. Robert of course was educated at a Unitarian Academy - established because Unitarians were denied education in Parish Schools and admittance to the English University with most English Unitarians seeking a degree going to Scotland - as Robert did - where there was no religious test for admission. It's a fascinating story and one which needs telling. Certainly Maurice Kirby has teased out some Quaker threads, but the whole 'Quaker/Unitarian Mafia' (for the want of an expression) and its involvement in engineering and certainly in the early railways needs more exploration and telling. I've been casually working on a paper abuot Unitarians and the industrial revolution on and off for a while now....
Thank you for giving me the likely correct pronunciation of the Trevithick name. I'd always said TREVV--i-thick to myself, but now I know it's tre-VIDH-ick. (DH for th as in this, rather than th as in thin.) I'd have never guessed.
I saw an engine very similar to one of these yesterday, it was on a trailer in the haulage yard, I did make a short vid from the footpath , you can see it on my channel but I did not get close enough to show all the moving parts ,very interesting, nice to actually see one, I see the ffestiniog steam trains often as it comes to the town I live,
That's the Swansea Museum replica of the Trevithick Gateshead locomotive now at Boston Lodge for overhaul.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory it was at a friend's yard yesterday in Blaenau, Hughes haulage, I did not notice it earlier when I passed by but I'll be going that way soon , might even get a chance to walk around it if I see Mr Hughes, thanks for letting me know it was what I thought it might be
@@hilton11000 It'll be exciting to see it back in steam!!
I right enjoyed that ;)
Glad you enjoyed
Tredegar is pronounced closer to Truh-dee-guh instead of Trud-eh-gaar. Otherwise, good video!
Thankyou. I stand corrected :-)
I heard he was given a cease and desist order from (Watt?) and ignored it, which was followed up by a man from London to enforce the order. A man whom Trevithick then held by the ankle over an open well! No further enforcement was followed up.
Not sure where I heard it or if it was true though!
Well, Watt did invent the world's first High Pressure Steam Engine, the world's first Steam Powered Engine ever.
The first Engine that could replace and far outnumber the ancient 2000 years old Water-wheel!
Then we had tons more Factories, and the Industrial Revolution started!
With all due respect, the Watt steam engine was a low pressure condensing engine. The company of Boulton & Watt led a virulent press campaign against Trevithick and the high pressure (50psi) steam engine as they thought they were dangerous. Boulton & Watt also held back the development of the steam engine through their patenting of it and vicious enforcement. They even tried to sabotage other firms such as Matthew Murray of Leeds. The first successful high pressure (4atmosphere) steam engine was built in france by Major Cugnot in 1769 for his fardier a vapeur, which was also the first self-propelled steam engine in the world. Hope this helps. 🙂
How can you say James Watt's engine was a condensing engine? It was Steam Powered right from the start.
Newcomen's Pump was a condensing Pump right from the start, but nobody mentions it.
Watt also used a condenser to recirculate hot water and to ELIMINATE Atmospheric Pressure, which opposes a Steam Engine, it made his Steam Engine more efficient.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory As they knew it would break their stranglehold on the market and circumvented the Watt patent.
can i ask what's 200 weight of steam coal exactly? i have recently learned what one tone looks like by looking at pictures of piles or heaps of coal on the interenet because i did not know what it looked like exactly but i did know what one cord of wood looked like because in the past i have done a lot of work stacking logs which was going to be used as fire wood.
Well a hundredweight (cwt) is 112lbs, or 8 stones. And there's 20 cwt to a ton. So it's not a vast amount.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory so one ton of steam coal would be like one cord of fire wood then?
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory I understand that he is believed to be the first driver of a steam locomotive?
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory so about two wheel barrow loads of steam coal then?
i don't know what cwts are exactly
The dislikes are from the designers of Trevithick that found out there's something called a Tesla model S
As something of an additional note. When the Stephenson and Booth built Rocket. They made a royalty payment to Trevithick on account of his blast pipe patient. They could have paid him nothing as their blast pipe differed....... Though with Robert Knowing and of his [Trevithick] lack of income did anyway, as a good will gesture.
I've never seen that, but I think if such a royalty payment were made, it would be for the use of high pressure steam. Do you have any sources regarding the royalty payment?
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory Unfortunately I can't off the top of my head remember where/when I came across this little tit-bit of information. I was to a degree surprised by it. Though considering the sort of people George & Robert were it was within character of the pair. I think it came up in an account of Roberts relationship with Trevithick whilst they were in South America together and their return to the UK. But yes it was the patent to do with the blast pipe.
@@malcolmbrown3532 I'm not sure the 1802 included the blast pipe? certainly the patent refers to waste steam being used in a steam jacket around the boiler, and then condense to act as feed-water. Text here: www.gracesguide.co.uk/Life_of_Richard_Trevithick_by_F._Trevithick:_Volume_1:_Chapter_8
After Richard escaped from the whole Simon Bolivar thing in Peru, he bumped into Robert in Cartegena who, typically, was late getting into the South American mining scene. Actually having some funds, Robert paid for Richard's ticket back to England. Which was decent of him. They were interesting times.
what is two 100 weight? was Richard Trevithick talking about two tones of Welsh steam coal being used the engine in his letter
A hundred weight = 112 pounds = 50.8 kg.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory so Richard Trevithick's first engine used about half a ton of Welsh steam coal during its short life as a working locomotive?
@@eliotreader8220 For that first run, there and back along the Penydarren Tramway. It made more than one trip of course.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory I understand that some new information has recently turned up about the boiler design?
@@eliotreader8220 th-cam.com/video/VIi3fIa2vF0/w-d-xo.html
I need answer which is the real coalbrookdale treviethick fly wheel in the front or back wards🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
There wasn't a Trevithick locomotive at Coalbrookedale.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory caolbrookdale is Richard treviethick's locomotive name
@@hamreesh.d6523 Coalbrookdale is a place; it's a famous Iron Works. None of Trevithick's locomotives had names, other than perhaps "Catch me who can" which was demonstrated in 1808. There is no evidence that Trevithick built a locomotive at Coalbrookedale for the ironworks there.
@@AnthonyDawsonHistory ok you answer me to which is the real treviethick fly wheel in the front or back 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐
@@hamreesh.d6523 Flywheel at the back, i.e. same end as the firebox.
Mr. Trevithick is equal to Watt and Stephenson
why aren't we as a species worshipping this man? you really could make the argument, that over any saint who has ever lived, Trevithick has benefacted humanity more than anything which has ever existed. over any saint who has ever lived, any religion, state, ect.
There is a statue in Camborne.
9:10 did Samuel Homfray make much or any money from RT's patents?
I'm afraid I can't answer that :(
"The boiler will hold it's steam a considerable time after the fire is taken out. We worked the engine three-quarters of an hour after all the fire was taken out from under the boiler. It is also slow at getting up, for after the steam is atmosphere strong, it will take half an hour to get it to 80lbs. or 90lbs. to the inch. It is very accommodating to the firemen, for, fire or not, it is not soon felt. The engineers at this place all said it was it was impossible for so small a cylinder to lift water to the top of the pumps, and degraded the principle, though at the same time they spoke highly in favour of the simple and well contrived engine. They say it is a supernatural engine, for it will work without either fire or water, and swore that all the engineers hitherto are the biggest fools in creation. They are constantly calling on me, for they all say they never would believe it unless they saw it, and no person here will take his neighbour's word, even if he swears to it. They all say it is an impossibility, and will never believe it unless they see it.
After they had seen the water at the pump jead, they say that it was possible, but that the boiler would not maintain it's steam at that pressure for five minutes; but after a short time time they went off, with a solid countenance and a silent tongue.
The boiler is 1 1/2 inch thick, and I think there will be no danger in putting it still higher. I shall not stop loading the engine untill the packing burns or blows out under it's pressure " Richard Trevithick, Great Engineers by Walter Scott.
Watt's engine was high pressure for it's time. Newcomen and Savery also argued about patents, it was nothing new. How could Somebody get a patent for a crank, so Watt couldn't use it, ( a crank must be a biblical invention! ).
They also tried to sabotage some of his engines. On a visit to the Bolton and Watt factory Trevithck's grandfather pinched one of their drawings, they had to demand it back.
Watt's engines were powerful enough to drive Industrial Factories, Steam Boats, kick of the Industrial Revolution, and replace the the 2000 years old Water-wheel for the first time in human history. He had his hands full designing and installing the world's first High Pressure Steam Engines.
He was proved right, we didn't have Stevenson's Rocket till well after Watt's death.
Yes Cugnot definitely had a Steam Engine, but it wasn't exactly practical was it, it couldn't drive any factory.
Newcomen and Savery gave up on Steam Power for Atmospheric Power.
it look kinda werid with the big wheels
Fo gawd sakes what is he pointing at?????
Familiar consequences for the Invention and Inventor of new technologies that could make big profits for those who already have money.
you pronounced Trevithick wrong, my last name is actually Trevithick i was looking up my last name but yea
No maori would of come up with this idea
Stop ...rlrlrolling your R's mate.