Stephenson's Rocket, 1829In 1829, George and Robert Stephenson won a competition to design an engine to pull the trains on the proposed Manchester-Liverpool railway with their steam engine, the 'Rocket'. Eight engines were bought to haul passenger trains when the line opened in 1830.

The first passenger train in the world was run on the Stockton-Darlington railway on 27 September 1825 and was pulled by George Stephenson's 'Active' - later renamed 'Locomotion', but the 'Rocket' was the first engine to be used for regular rail services.

The PRO holds the enrolled specification for the design of the 'Rocket', as well as an image of a replica (shown here).