Locomotive No. 1
Encyclopedia
Locomotive No. 1 hauled the first passenger train in New South Wales
, Australia
. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company
who had built the first successful engine, the Rocket
. In 1846 the Sydney Railway Company was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney
and Parramatta. No. 1 was one of four locomotives that arrived by sea from the manufacturer in January 1855. The first passenger train hauled by No. 1 was a special service from Sydney Station
to Long Cove
viaduct (near the present site of Lewisham
) on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria
's birthday.
A common misconception is that Locomotive No.1 hauled the first train at the grand opening of the first New South Wales railway, on 26 September 1855. In fact, No. 1 was in need of maintenance that day and not in steam. Its identical sister locomotive No. 3 worked the first passenger train from Sydney at 9:00 am and this was followed by the official train at 12:00 noon hauled by No. 2, driven by William Sixsmith and fireman William Webster.
The design for Locomotive No. 1 was an 0-4-2
mixed traffic variation of an 0-6-0
fast goods locomotive that had been supplied to the London and North Western Railway
in 1854. Comparison of early photographs and diagrams reveals that there were few technical changes aside from the wheel arrangement.
Locomotive No. 1 was withdrawn from service on 15 March 1877 due to an accident that bent its main frame. Sister No. 2 was the last in service in 1879. In 1884 Locomotive No. 1 was rebuilt and repainted and given to the Museum of Science and History, which was later to become the Powerhouse Museum
in Sydney. There had been a large amount of debate over the identity of the locomotive claimed as being No. 1, some suggesting that it may in fact be No.2. An extensive restoration in the 1970s revealed that parts from all locomotives Nos. 1 to 4 were used. Under locomotive workshop practices of the time, parts were interchanged between the sister locomotives throughout their 25 years' service.
In 2005, the 150-year anniversary of NSW Railways was celebrated with an exhibition of Locomotive No. 1 at the Powerhouse Museum.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
who had built the first successful engine, the Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...
. In 1846 the Sydney Railway Company was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
and Parramatta. No. 1 was one of four locomotives that arrived by sea from the manufacturer in January 1855. The first passenger train hauled by No. 1 was a special service from Sydney Station
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
to Long Cove
Cockle Bay (Sydney)
Cockle Bay is a small bay in inner-city Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the western edge of the Sydney central business district....
viaduct (near the present site of Lewisham
Lewisham railway station, Sydney
-Transport links:Sydney Buses runs one route via Lewisham station:*Route 413 - east to King Street ferry wharf via Leichhardt, Annandale, Camperdown, University of Sydney, Railway Square, Town Hall, Wynyard; west to Campsie station via Ashbury...
) on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's birthday.
A common misconception is that Locomotive No.1 hauled the first train at the grand opening of the first New South Wales railway, on 26 September 1855. In fact, No. 1 was in need of maintenance that day and not in steam. Its identical sister locomotive No. 3 worked the first passenger train from Sydney at 9:00 am and this was followed by the official train at 12:00 noon hauled by No. 2, driven by William Sixsmith and fireman William Webster.
The design for Locomotive No. 1 was an 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
mixed traffic variation of an 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
fast goods locomotive that had been supplied to the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
in 1854. Comparison of early photographs and diagrams reveals that there were few technical changes aside from the wheel arrangement.
Locomotive No. 1 was withdrawn from service on 15 March 1877 due to an accident that bent its main frame. Sister No. 2 was the last in service in 1879. In 1884 Locomotive No. 1 was rebuilt and repainted and given to the Museum of Science and History, which was later to become the Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory...
in Sydney. There had been a large amount of debate over the identity of the locomotive claimed as being No. 1, some suggesting that it may in fact be No.2. An extensive restoration in the 1970s revealed that parts from all locomotives Nos. 1 to 4 were used. Under locomotive workshop practices of the time, parts were interchanged between the sister locomotives throughout their 25 years' service.
In 2005, the 150-year anniversary of NSW Railways was celebrated with an exhibition of Locomotive No. 1 at the Powerhouse Museum.