Rocket: The Basics

[@thisisaduck]

Wish I’d found you sooner. It’s taking forever to get through your videos. Loving them so far.

[@johnclayden1670]

Ditto ..

[@stephenweston3833]

Excellent again, Anthony. I look forward to the next one.

[@innovationsurvival]

Stunning video, simply stunning. I have ordered the book and pre-ordered the pending one. Thank you for doing the intricate research necessary to present these videos. Stunning, simply stunning. I know because I have six detailed lectures on innovation and have presented them at top universities and Silicon Valley companies. George Stephenson, Rocket, the Raintree Trials are my next lecture. I now have what I need, in addition to an 1860s copy of Smiley's book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@Samstrainsofficially]

Silly question, but is rocket rocket? In the sense that reports of the time suggest heavy rebuilding and cannibalism of parts was very normal with name plates being put on whatever appeared from the shops whenever it did is there any active indication in the fabric of the preserved loco that create a distinct clear identity(stamped part numbers etc) given it would appear there were several examples of this same design built prior to the development of Northumbrian and subsequent modification of rocket and presumably its class mates to take up the learning from the improvements made with the introduction of Northumbrian. The plate says rocket. But is it definately that same loco, or even parts there of, that ran at rainhill?

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

Rocket is very definitely Rocket. The six locomotives which came after were very different. I suggest you read Dr Michael Bailey's archaeological report on Rocket. He goes into far more details than I could here: it's the defacto text on the engine :-)

[@Samstrainsofficially]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory shall see if the prison library, sorry I mean Australian book stores, are able to get it. Otherwise it's off to the inhospitable Amazon.

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

@@Samstrainsofficially You may need to turn to Ebay or second-hand book sellers to be honest. But essentially it is Rocket due to the six later examples being larger (bigger boiler with more tubes; larger diameter wheels; bigger cylinders cast to a different pattern). From 1829 is the boiler barrel, valve gear, and the frames. The Smokebox, wheels, axles and wet-back firebox are an in-service replacement (1830-1833).The present chimney is twentieth century. So Rocket is pretty much a complete early 1830s locomotive, most of which dates from 1829-1833.

[@krimskrams]

well done presentation! I like this a lot!

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

Thank you very much!

[@Petelmrg]

I've subscribed and am looking forward to binging my way through the content of your Channel - thanks to your recent podcast with Corwin!

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@liverpoolandmanchesterrailway]

Excellent as always

[@colinlothlorian]

Excellent, thanks.

[@FQP-7024]

And so begins my voyage through the channel old to new

[@connorjohnson7834]

She may not be the first locomotive, but the first modern locomotive

[@DiegoLiger]

I'm not even sure she was the first modern locomotive: that was 'Planet' delivered a year later. 'Rocket' was a work in progress, a proof of concept or dynamic prototype. She was a step on the road from the colliery engine to the first mainline express passenger locomotive, the 'Planet'.

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

@@DiegoLiger the irony being that Rocket ended up working on the colliery lines owned by the Earl of Carlisle in Cumberland.

[@paulhorn2665]

Excellent video!

[@floridian2023]

W.O.W.

[@eliotreader8220]

i am guessing that she was never fitted with a steam whistle

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

Rocket had one at the end of its operational life

[@eliotreader8220]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory you mean before or after she was sold off by the Liverpool and Manchester railway company? I understand in modified form she had a second life as a Industrial engine.

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

@@eliotreader8220 Before. And yes it work for three, maybe four years on a colliery railway.

[@sirhaydn-1]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory I’m confused by the regulator. Surely it’s not a butterfly valves or a globe valve like on planet. What type of valve is it? I guess I’m asking what the internal pipe layout would look like on a drawing. Is it a 3 way plug valve?

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

@@sirhaydn-1 Rocket has a rotary plug valve, as did the original planet. The Replica planet has a sliding regulator with a pilot and main valve. It doesn't have a globe valve - not sure where that's come from. Rocket's regulator is Closed - Open -Closed.

[@gabestephens9654]

Is nobody going to ask that lion is on the cover not rocket?

[@gabestephens9654]

Oof

[@simonwass6315]

Yep it's surely not difficult to get a thumbnail of the Rocket. A pic of Lion with a caption stating Rocket is really odd.....

[@knuckles1206]

Why did the liverpool and manchester not use rocket for normal service? they made 5 copies of it to my knoewledge, and even rebuilt it, so why not let it pull some proper trains?

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

Basically because it was obsolete and underpowered. Four "improved" Rocket types were delivered in January 1830 with bigger driving wheels; bigger cylinders; better valves; and bigger boilers with more tubes. Another two with further improvements were delivered in the early summer. So by the time the Liverpool & Manhester opened in September 1830 "Rocket" had been superseded not only by the four improved Rocket types from Jan 1830, but also by North Star and her sister (June 1830), but also Northumbrian (July 1830) and in just under a month after opening by Planet ( October 1830). Rocket was old technology and obsolete. After Planet came along, all the other Rocket types very quickly were sidelined, within about 18 months.

[@knuckles1206]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory Are there any known depictions of the improved rocket type? (pictures, drawings, paintings, lithographs, etc)

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

@@knuckles1206 There's a well known print of North Star and also engineering drawings for them.

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

the rocket and planet are different but have components needed to work mechanism to move forward and backwards the multi boiler and the blast pipe thou admittedly Richard made originally but with out it its a steam kettle on tracks

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

How many coaches can rocket

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

that loop tube is the water pipe and piston allow water from the tank to the boiler thou nice rocket 1830 image but with out rocket planet to the rest would never come to be its underrated history

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

oh so that's the spring valve

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

have you thought of being a professor of locomotive railway history

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

I've got a tweed jacket! I'd love to! honestly, would love to and would love to teach it

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory well your perhaps the best her most don't give details of a locomotives history or design

[@thomasdaywalt7735]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory hey how many coaches did rocket carried

[@hamreesh.d6523]

Hey didn't know what is real rocket yellow or black🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔😥😥😥🤔

[@AnthonyDawsonHistory]

The original Rocket is black, but was when new in 1829 painted yellow. The operable replicas of Rocket are painted yellow.

[@hamreesh.d6523]

@@AnthonyDawsonHistory but yellow was so different that funnel was it front but the black was looks odinary right 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔