The Rainhill Trials weren't what most people think ...

As far as the directors of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway were concerned, the Rainhill Trials wasn’t a competition between locomotives … it was a test to prove that any locomotives were a viable option. 

In the second of a two-parter on Rainhill, we look at the trials themselves - how each engine fared - and some of the controversies and accusations of conspiracy that followed. 

Going into the trial there were 5 entries:

• Thomas Brandreth’s Cycloped
• Timothy Burstall’s Perseverance 
• John Braithwaite and John Ericsson’s Novelty
• Timothy Hackworth’s Sans Pareil
• George Stephenson, Robert Stephenson and Henry Booth’s Rocket 

But what happened next?

Listen and find out...

Come and join Michael Lancashire as he gets distracted, fascinated ... and yes, even sidetracked ... by stories from the railways (or railroads if you're American).

Find show notes and more at https://historyoftherailways.com

Support the show at http://patreon.com/HistoryoftheRailways