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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITAIN
 
  More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)

 
More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
Richard Trevithick

(1771–1833)
The first man to carry passengers on a *steam vehicle. Born in Cornwall, he was familiar with steam engines in the mines. After the expiry of *Watt's patent in 1800 he began building engines, adapting one to drive a carriage. On this he took passengers over a short distance on Christmas Eve 1801 at Camborne, in Cornwall; in London in 1803 another version was driven from Holborn to Paddington and back; and in Wales in 1804 he ran the first locomotive on rails, pulling five wagons at Merthyr Tydfil at a speed of about 8kph/5mph with a load of ten tons of iron and 70 men. He went bankrupt in 1811 and later spent many years in Peru – where in 1827 he accidentally met Robert Stephenson (who gave him his passage money home).
 








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