Replica of Stephenson's 1829 "Rocket" Locomotive

01

Artifact Overview

When England's Liverpool and Manchester Railway held a contest in 1829 to find the best locomotive design for its line, George Stephenson's Rocket took the prize. The Rocket's horizontal boiler, with cylinders directly connected to its driving wheels, set the standard pattern for all subsequent locomotives. Henry Ford commissioned this replica from the original builders in 1928.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Steam locomotive

Date Made

1929

Subject Date

1829

Creator Notes

Commissioned by Henry Ford and built by Robert Stephenson & Co. in Darlington, England in 1929

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Transportation - Trains

Object ID

29.883.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Iron (Metal)
Brass (Alloy)
Copper (Metal)

Color

Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 15 ft
Width: 6.167 ft
Length: 21.563 ft

Inscriptions

Marked on plates fastened to each side of boiler: ROCKET Brass builder's plate marked on top front of locomotive frame: REPLICA / OF ORIGINAL ROCKET / BUILT 1829 BY / ROBERT STEPHENSON & CO., LTD. / DARLINGTON, / ENGLAND