World's first loco steams in as show highlight
A working replica of the world's first railway locomotive will be in action at Shrewsbury Steam Rally over the August Bank Holiday.
The County of Salop Steam Engine Society's rally is at Onslow Park, Shrewsbury, on August 27 and 28 and organisers have linked up with Ironbridge Gorge Museum for the full-sized replica of the Trevithick 1802 Coalbrookdale loco to strut its stuff on a 60 metre 3ft gauge track.
Michael Llewellyn from the society said: "Many people think James Watt invented the steam engine and George Stephenson the first railway locomotive, but neither is correct.
"Richard Trevithick was working at Coalbrookdale on water pumps when he started work on his first railway locomotive. There is very little information on its success, or even if it ever ran, but it did exist as he had written letters on its progress.
"It is possible work was halted by the death of William Reynolds in 1803 who was the ironmaster working on the project, or it may have been due to the damning letter in the press from James Watt on the danger of such inventions which could have given the Coalbrookdale management cold feet.
"But today we have a magnificent working engine on display for visitors to see running on its own trackway."
The replica was built by a team of apprentices from GKN Sankey in Hadley in association with the National Vulcan Insurance Company and donated to Ironbridge Gorge Museum on July 18, 1990.
Its appearance at the steam rally will be the first time it has travelled further than the Ironbridge Gorge area, as it runs on a flangeway rather than on normal rail tracks.
This year's steam rally will showcase over 1,000 exhibits.
