Graham Trust talks about the launching of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway from Edge Hill

Resource Type: Audio | Posted on 5th August 2011 by Liam Physick

Graham Trust talks about the eight locomotives that set out from Edge Hill station on the opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, including the Northumbrian, driven by George Stephenson, whose train included the Duke of Wellington and was directed by John Moss, one of the Railway directors about whom Graham has written a biography

Interviewee: Graham Trust

Interviewee Gender: Male

Date of Interview: 16th November 2010

Interview Transcript

Graham: That day, there were eight locomotives pulling hundreds of dignitaries, really. There was the Northumbrian Rocket, which George Stephenson, sorry, the Northumbrian locomotive . . .

Jenny: Engine, yeah.

Graham: . . . which George Stephenson was driving that was pulling two or three carriages, three carriages, one carrying the Duke of Wellington and his guests, another carrying the brass band, and a further carriage which carried the directors of the railway, their friends . . .

Jenny: Would that have included John Moss?

Graham: John Moss would have actually started the engine at Edge Hill, he was the director of the train, each train was assigned a director from the Liverpool and Manchester Board and John Moss was on that particularly important train. On the other track there was seven other locomotives carrying various other dignitaries and the idea was that they set off from Edge Hill and, because the Northumbrian was on one track, the, the, the wealthy and important dignitaries could stop off at any site along the way to Manchester, and to admire the view without being encumbered by the other locomotives which were on the other track and they, they had their own (coughs), their own agenda, but that all started, as you say, from Edge Hill station.

Tagged under: edge hill station, liverpool and manchester railway, george stephenson, northumbrian, john moss

Categorised under: The Station & Railway Pioneers

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