George Stephenson (1781-1848), English railway engineer. the father of railways. In 1814, at Killingworth colliery where he was employed as an engine-wright, he constructed a steam powered machine that could pull tonnes of coal up a hill at 4mph. The locomotive was called the 'Blucher', and had two vertical cylinders let into the boiler from the piston engine, which enabled it to pull large amounts of coal. Stephenson built a number of locomotives and in 1819, he was allowed to start work on the Stockton to Darlington railway. The railway opened to the public in 1825. Stephenson is probably best known for his 'Rocket' engine, which reached a speed of 30mph at a famous contest in Rainhill in 1829.