Timothy Hackworth - the man who moved the world
Mike Norman
A story of a grandson's quest to uncover the truth about one of the pioneers of the locomotives that swept the Industrial Revolution into the pages of history, told against the backdrop of the famed Chicago World's Fair
In 1893 the city of Chicago was host to an international exhibition to commemorate the discovery of America, four hundred years earlier. The renowned Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had seized the idea of making the celebration of transport a central theme. They were determined to honour the first public locomotive railway in the world - the Stockton and Darlington Railway - and the ingenuity of its superintendent, Timothy Hackworth.
It would take determination to push past the fog of history, to discover those accomplishments and paint a vivid picture to bring Timothy Hackworth’s extraordinary inventiveness into the light of day.
It takes three men to seize the prize...
more...
The Chicago World’s Fair saw the newly united states of America taking its place on the world stage. And the renowned Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had successfully promoted the idea of making the celebration of transport a central theme. The accomplishments of engineering prowess and the continual overcoming of challenges is the legacy of the locomotive pioneers – a legacy they wanted to celebrate.
In England the plaudits and reputation afforded George Stephenson and the Liverpool and Manchester railway overshadowed the working of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Timothy Hackworth was their superintendent, the man responsible for how their fortunes fared. A place of honour among the pioneers was planned for him at the World’s Fair but crucial information was lacking.
Was Timothy Hackworth the one who showed the way to make a railway pay its way? Had that all started with the locomotive ‘Royal George’? Finding that out would take the best efforts of three men in America…
Sam Holmes, eldest of Hackworth’s grandson, had an axe to grind. His advice to his cousin called on him to show the progress and developments of Timothy Hackworth and the times of George Stephenson in a new light.
Major Pangborn of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company wanted to make the World’s Fair a success for the company he worked for. The splendour of the Transportation Department would be matched by a display of 11 acres of locomotives, and tell a story of the five pioneers.
The quest for Timothy Young was to push past the fog of history as he searched for fresh evidence of Hackworth’s extraordinary accomplishments. Was it his grandfather who had set the pace and kept the locomotive on the right rails?
All to play for...
more...
Sam Holmes took the view that his grandfather laid the foundations for the locomotive. Working at the cutting edge of technology, he exploited the potential, forged a path forward and succeeded where others failed. As he made clear in writing to his cousin, Timothy Young:
'When he was building ‘Royal George’ was when he perfected the ‘blast pipe’, keeping his keen smith’s eye on how hot he could raise the coals and how much extra water it turned to steam. How else would ‘Royal George’ have satisfied the Board of the Stockton and Darlington Railway? Remember they didn’t think it could be done.'
Adding...'Make the truth stand out against the deceits.'
The story Major Pangborn wanted for everyone who came to wonder at this World's Fair was about the locomotive. It was also for them to see and feel the work of the pioneers, and there were five such men whose contribution stood out. First among them was Timothy Hackworth - the man whose work breathed life into the very first public railway - the Stockton and Darlington Railway. He had found that for years Hackworth was written out of the history books, his role diminished and his critical invention discounted. Jubilee celebrations went by without due recognition. It was time for justice.
'Drawing in Timothy Young, Hackworth's grandson, with his experience of keeping the locomotives of the 'Milwaukee Road' railroad going on, that was a coup for me. Not my only one of course, but he's the man who can bring out all that there is in the family archives. I can't rely on my instincts to be sure that Hackworth should stand first in line. The public need to have more to celebrate than just my fine words. Honouring him is a quest for all of us...'
Timothy Hackworth Young faces a challenge
more...
Samuel Smiles book of the life of George Stephenson, published in its thousands, had claims and plaudits for the contribution of that one man alone. It was prefaced with: ‘In preparing the original work for publication, the author enjoyed the advantage of the cordial co-operation and assistance of Robert Stephenson', who continued to furnish corrections and additions for insertion in the successive editions of the book called for by the public.’ Adding…’to insure as much accuracy and consistency of narrative as possible, the author submitted the MS. to Mr. Stephenson, and had the benefit of his revision of it previous to publication.’ Robert Stephenson obviously had Samuel Smiles in his pocket.
So much so that Timothy Young found his words were used to decry the contribution of his grandfather:‘The importance of the contraction of the blast-pipe at the point of its opening into the chimney, was greatly overrated by Mr. Hackworth.’ Even in footnotes, no stone was left unturned so as to further play down his contribution.
Timothy Young found that Smiles, as author of Stephenson’s aggrandisement, had commented: “The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honour.” It epitomised the life of Timothy Hackworth and the town, Shildon, that was the 'cradle of the railway'.
Two pamphlets now complete the story in the book. A memoir of Hackworth published after his death, and a history of the town that grew up as the Stockton and Darlington Railway flourished and prospered.
