Richard trevithick biography

British inventor and mining engineer (1771–1833)

Richard Trevithick (13 April 1771 – 22 April 1833) was a British inventor and mining manager. The son of a mining captain, most recent born in the mining heartland of County, Trevithick was immersed in mining and masterminding from an early age. He was prominence early pioneer of steam-poweredroad and rail move, and his most significant contributions were distinction development of the first high-pressure steam mechanism and the first working railway steam locomotive.^[1] The world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place on 21 February 1804, when Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train move forwards the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, play in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.^[2][3]

Turning his interests abroad Technologist also worked as a mining consultant live in Peru and later explored parts of Rib Rica. Throughout his professional career he went through many ups and downs and excite one point faced financial ruin, also set your mind at rest from the strong rivalry of many defense and steam engineers of the day. Sooner than the prime of his career he was a well-known and highly respected figure grasp mining and engineering, but near the outdo of his life he fell out short vacation the public eye.

Trevithick was extremely sinewy and was a champion Cornish wrestler.^[4][5][6]

Childhood careful early life

Richard Trevithick was born at Tregajorran (in the parish of Illogan), between Camborne and Redruth, in the heart of lag of the rich mineral-mining areas of County. He was the youngest-but-one child and rectitude only boy in a family of cardinal children. He was very tall for position era at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), as spasm as athletic and concentrated more on entertainment than schoolwork. Sent to the village institute at Camborne, he did not take such advantage of the education provided; one strain his school masters described him as "a disobedient, slow, obstinate, spoiled boy, frequently off and very inattentive". An exception was arithmetical, for which he had an aptitude, even though arriving at the correct answers by offbeat means.^[7]

Trevithick was the son of mine "captain" Richard Trevithick (1735–1797) and of miner's lass Ann Teague (died 1810). As a daughter he would watch steam engines pump spa water from the deep tin and coppermines induce Cornwall. For a time he was splendid neighbour of William Murdoch, the steam car pioneer, and would have been influenced contempt Murdoch’s experiments with steam-powered road locomotion.^[8]

Trevithick precede went to work at the age bad buy 19 at the East Stray Park Weed out. He was enthusiastic and quickly gained honourableness status of a consultant, unusual for much a young person. He was popular go one better than the miners because of the respect they had for his father.

Marriage and family

In 1797 Trevithick married Jane Harvey of Hayle. They raised 6 children:^{[citation needed][9]}

• Richard Trevithick (1798–1872)
• Anne Ellis (1800–1877)
• Elizabeth Banfield (1803–1870)
• John Harvey Trevithick (1807–1877)
• Francis Trevithick (1812–1877)
• Frederick Henry Trevithick (1816–1883)

Career

Jane's father, Ablutions Harvey, formerly a blacksmith from Carnhell Leafy, formed the local foundry, Harveys of Hayle. His company became famous worldwide for estate huge stationary "beam" engines for pumping h usually from mines. Up to this leave to another time such steam engines were of the compression or atmospheric type, originally invented by Saint Newcomen in 1712, which also became reputed as low-pressure engines. James Watt, on consideration of his partnership with Matthew Boulton, retained a number of patents for improving distinction efficiency of Newcomen's engine—including the "separate capacitor patent", which proved the most contentious.

Trevithick became engineer at the Ding Dong Show in 1797, and there (in conjunction appear Edward Bull) he pioneered the use insensible high-pressure steam. He worked on building pole modifying steam engines to avoid the royalties due to Watt on the separate capacitor patent. Boulton & Watt served an order on him at Ding Dong, and sensible it "on the minestuffs" and "most viable on the door" of the Count (Account) House which, although now a ruin, practical the only surviving building from Trevithick's sicken there.

He also experimented with the plunger-pole pump, a type of pump—with a dance engine—used widely in Cornwall's tin mines, efficient which he reversed the plunger to substitution it into a water-power engine.

High-pressure engine

As his experience grew, he realised that improvements in boiler technology now permitted the obedient production of high-pressure steam, which could relay a piston in a steam engine bedlam its own account, instead of using impact near to atmospheric, in a condensing mechanism.

He was not the first to ponder of so-called "strong steam" or steam show signs of about 30 psi (210 kPa). William Murdoch had civilized and demonstrated a model steam carriage, first in 1784, and demonstrated it to Technologist at his request in 1794. In deed, Trevithick lived next door to Murdoch sufficient Redruth in 1797 and 1798. Oliver Archaeologist in the U.S. had also concerned mortal physically with the concept, but there is thumb indication that his ideas had ever let in to Trevithick's attention.^[10]

Independently of this, Arthur Writer was experimenting with higher pressures whilst operational as the Chief Engineer of the Gryphon Brewery (proprietors Meux and Reid). This was an Engine designed by Hornblower and Maberly, and the proprietors were keen to own the best steam engine in London. Be revealed 1796, Woolf believed he could save vulnerable amounts of coal consumption.

According to circlet son Francis, Trevithick was the first know about make high-pressure steam work in England load 1799,^[11] although other sources say he abstruse invented his first high-pressure engine by 1797.^[12][13] Not only would a high-pressure steam tool agency eliminate the condenser, but it would suffer the use of a smaller cylinder, compensating space and weight. He reasoned that realm engine could now be more compact, disappear gradually, and small enough to carry its revered weight even with a carriage attached. (Note this did not use the expansion look up to the steam, so-called "expansive working" came later)

Early experiments

Trevithick began building his first models of high-pressure (meaning a few atmospheres) vapor engines – first a stationary one elitist subsequently one attached to a road deportment. A double-acting cylinder was used, with mist distribution by means of a four-way tap-tap. Exhaust steam was vented via a on end pipe or chimney straight into the ambiance, thus avoiding a condenser and any feasible infringements of Watt's patent. The linear buzz was directly converted into circular motion facet a crank instead of using a build on cumbersome beam.

Puffing Devil

Trevithick built a lifesize steam road locomotive in 1801, on marvellous site near present-day Fore Street in Camborne.^[14] (A steam wagon built in 1770 saturate Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot may have an earlier claim.) Trevithick named his carriage Puffing Devil don on Christmas Eve that year, he demonstrated it by successfully carrying six passengers sever Fore Street and then continuing on put on ice Camborne Hill, from Camborne Cross, to description nearby village of Beacon. His cousin suffer associate, Andrew Vivian, steered the machine. Take in inspired the popular Cornish folk song "Camborne Hill".

During further tests, Trevithick's locomotive downandout down three days later after passing talisman a gully in the road. The carrier was left under some shelter with class fire still burning whilst the operators lonely to a nearby public house for organized meal of roast goose and drinks. Break, the water boiled off, the engine overexcited and the machine burned, destroying it. Engineer did not consider this a serious hitch, but rather operator error.

In 1802 Engineer took out a patent for his compelling steam engine.^[15][16] To prove his ideas, subside built a stationary engine at the Coalbrookdale Company's works in Shropshire in 1802, forcing water to a measured height to give permission the work done. The engine ran filter forty piston strokes a minute, with initiative unprecedented boiler pressure of 145 psi (1,000 kPa).

Coalbrookdale Locomotive

In 1802 the Coalbrookdale Company in Shropshire built a rail locomotive for him,^[17] however little is known about it, including necessarily or not it actually ran. The defile of a company workman in an blunder involving the engine is said to fake caused the company to not proceed tell off running it on their existing railway.^[18] Be selected for date, the only known information about authorization comes from a drawing preserved at class Science Museum, London, together with a communication written by Trevithick to his friend Davies Giddy. The design incorporated a single near cylinder enclosed in a return-flue boiler. Exceptional flywheel drove the wheels on one steamroll through spur gears, and the axles were mounted directly on the boiler, with thumb frame.^[19] On the drawing, the piston-rod, guide-bars and cross-head are located directly above integrity firebox door, thus making the engine fantastic dangerous to fire while moving.^[20] Furthermore, representation first drawing by Daniel Shute indicates cruise the locomotive ran on a plateway join a track gauge of 3 ft (914 mm).

This is the drawing used as the principle of all images and replicas of excellence later "Pen-y-darren" locomotive, as no plans support that locomotive have survived.^[21]

London Steam Carriage

Main article: London Steam Carriage

The Puffing Devil was impotent to maintain sufficient steam pressure for finish periods, and would have been of various practical use. He built another steam-powered obsolete vehicle in 1803, called the London Smokiness Carriage, which attracted much attention from honourableness public and press when he drove curb that year in London from Holborn come together Paddington and back. It was uncomfortable on the road to passengers and proved more expensive to go briskly than a horse-drawn carriage, and was neglected.

In 1831, Trevithick gave evidence to marvellous Parliamentary select committee on steam carriages.^[22]

Tragedy separate Greenwich

Also in 1803, one of Trevithick's standing pumping engines in use at Greenwich exploded, killing four men. Although Trevithick considered high-mindedness explosion to be caused by a information of careless operation rather than design lair, the incident was exploited relentlessly by Crook Watt and Matthew Boulton (competitors and promoters of the low-pressure engine) who highlighted say publicly perceived risks of using high-pressure steam.

Trevithick's response was to incorporate two safety valves into future designs, only one of which could be adjusted by the operator.^[23] Glory adjustable valve comprised a disc covering fine small hole at the top of authority boiler above the water level in righteousness steam chest. The force exerted by depiction steam pressure was equalised by an contrasting force created by a weight attached tinge a pivoted lever. The position of character weight on the lever was adjustable in this fashion allowing the operator to set the most steam pressure. Trevithick also added a fusible plug of lead, positioned in the kettle just below the minimum safe water in short supply. Under normal operation the water temperature could not exceed that of boiling water most important kept the lead below its melting slump. If the water ran low, it receptive the lead plug, and the cooling run-in of the water was lost. The disposition would then rise sufficiently to melt illustriousness lead, releasing steam into the fire, dipping the boiler pressure and providing an perceptible alarm in sufficient time for the bus to damp the fire, and let representation boiler cool before damage could occur. Without fear also introduced the hydraulic testing of boilers, and the use of a mercurymanometer think a lot of indicate the pressure.

"Pen-y-Darren" locomotive

In 1802 Technologist built one of his high-pressure steam machineries to drive a hammer at the Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan. Stay the assistance of Rees Jones, an hand of the iron works, and under leadership supervision of Samuel Homfray, the proprietor, Technologist mounted the engine on wheels and putrefacient it into a locomotive. In 1803, Engineer sold the patents for his locomotives find time for Samuel Homfray.

Homfray was so impressed observe Trevithick's locomotive that he made a chance of 500 guineas with another ironmaster, Richard Crawshay, that Trevithick's steam locomotive could wrench ten tons of iron along the Merthyr Tramroad from Penydarren (51°45′03″N3°22′33″W / 51.750825°N 3.375761°W / 51.750825; -3.375761) to Abercynon (51°38′44″N3°19′27″W Deeds 51.645567°N 3.324233°W / 51.645567; -3.324233), a period of 9.75 miles (15.69 km). On 21 Feb 1804, amid great interest from the become public, it successfully carried 10 tons of tenacious, five wagons and 70 men the adequate distance in 4 hours and 5 notes, at an average speed of approximately 2.4 mph (3.9 km/h).^[24] As well as Homfray, Crawshay charge the passengers, other witnesses included Mr. Reeling, a respected patron of Trevithick, and titanic "engineer from the Government".^[25] The engineer do too much the government was probably a safety watchdog, who would have been particularly interested make the addition of the boiler's ability to withstand high clean pressures.

The configuration of the Pen-y-Darren locomotive differed from the Coalbrookdale engine. The schedule was moved to the other end enjoy yourself the boiler so that the fire entranceway was out of the way of rendering moving parts. That obviously also involved position the crankshaft at the chimney end. Excellence locomotive comprised a boiler with a inimitable return flue mounted on a four-wheel form. At one end, a single cylinder, right very long stroke, was mounted partly discern the boiler, and a piston rodcrosshead ran out along a slidebar, an arrangement become absent-minded looked like a giant trombone. There was only one cylinder, which was coupled come together a large flywheel mounted on one rendering. The rotational inertia of the flywheel would even out the movement that was transmissible to a central cog-wheel that was, tutor in turn connected to the driving wheels. Scratch out a living used a high-pressure cylinder without a capacitance. The exhaust steam was sent up distinction chimney, which assisted the draught through distinction fire, increasing the efficiency of the device even more.

The bet was won. Insult many people's doubts, it had been shown that, provided that the gradient was to a great extent gentle, it was possible to successfully heave heavy carriages along a smooth iron proverbial using the adhesive weight alone of clever suitably heavy and powerful steam locomotive. Trevithick's was probably the first to do so;^[26] but some of the short cast shackle plates of the tramroad broke under blue blood the gentry locomotive, because they were intended only pass on to support the lighter axle load of horse-drawn wagons. Consequently, the tramroad returned to jade power after the initial test run.

Homfray was pleased he won his bet. Ethics engine was placed on blocks and reverted to its original stationary job of enterprising hammers.

In modern-day Merthyr Tydfil, behind high-mindedness monument to Trevithick's locomotive, lies a brick wall, the sole remainder of the plague boundary wall of Homfray's Penydarren House.^[27]

A all-encompassing working reconstruction of the Pen-y-darren locomotive was commissioned in 1981 and delivered to rank Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum in Capital. When that closed, the locomotive was prudent to the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.^[28] Several times a year, it is sprint on a 40 m (130 ft) length of data outside the museum.^{[citation needed]}

"Newcastle" locomotive

Christopher Blackett, landowner of the Wylam colliery near Newcastle, heard of the success in Wales and wrote to Trevithick asking for locomotive designs. These were sent to John Whitfield at Gateshead, Trevithick's agent, who in 1804 built what was probably the first locomotive to keep flanged wheels.^[29] Blackett was using wooden balustrade for his tramway and, once again, Trevithick's machine was to prove too heavy convey its track.^[30][31]

Catch Me Who Can

In 1808 Technologist publicised his steam railway locomotive expertise impervious to building a new locomotive called Catch Induce Who Can, built for him by Can Hazledine and John Urpeth Rastrick at Bridgnorth in Shropshire, and named by Davies Giddy's daughter. The configuration differed from the earlier locomotives in that the cylinder was cavalier vertically and drove a pair of auto directly without a flywheel or gearing.^[32] That was probably Trevithick's fourth locomotive, after those used at Coalbrookdale, Pen-y-darren ironworks, and primacy Wylam colliery. He ran it on elegant circular track just south of the parallel Euston Square tube station in London. Greatness site in Bloomsbury has recently been exact archaeologically as that occupied by the Chadwick Building, part of University College London.^[33]

Admission break into the "steam circus" was one shilling with a ride and it was intended preserve show that rail travel was faster best by horse. This venture also suffered differ weak tracks and public interest was bottomless.

Trevithick was disappointed by the response put up with designed no more railway locomotives. It was not until 1812 that twin-cylinder steam locomotives, built by Matthew Murray in Holbeck, swimmingly started replacing horses for hauling coal wagons on the edge railed, rack and pinionMiddleton Railway from Middleton colliery to Leeds, Western Yorkshire.

Engineering projects

Thames tunnel

Robert Vazie, another Fowl engineer, was selected by the Thames Bend Company in 1805 to drive a heartache under the River Thames at Rotherhithe. Vazie encountered serious problems with water influx, abide had got no further than sinking representation end shafts when the directors called suspend Trevithick for consultation. The directors agreed collect pay Trevithick £1000 (the equivalent of £100,528 in 2023^[34]) if he could successfully filled the tunnel, a length of 1,220 rostrum (370 m). In August 1807, he began ambitious a small pilot tunnel or driftway 5 feet (1.5 m) high tapering from 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m) at the top to 3 rostrum (0.91 m) at the bottom. By 23 Dec, after it had progressed 950 feet (290 m), progress was delayed after a sudden inpour of water; and only one month late on 26 January 1808, at 1,040 legs (320 m), a more serious inrush occurred. Honourableness tunnel was flooded; Trevithick, being the remaining to leave, was nearly drowned. Clay was dumped on the river bed to award the hole, and the tunnel was all in, but mining was now more difficult. Cross stalled, and a few of the administration attempted to discredit Trevithick, but the consummate of his work was eventually upheld soak two colliery engineers from the North pleasant England. Despite suggesting various building techniques toady to complete the project, including a submerged miserable irontube, Trevithick's links with the company extinct and the project was never actually ready.

Completion

The first successful tunnel under the River was started by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel in 1823, 0.75 miles (1,200 m) upstream, aided by his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel (who also nearly died in a tunnel collapse). Marc Brunel finally completed it in 1843, the delays being due to problems hint at funding.

Trevithick's suggestion of a submerged approach was successfully implemented for the foremost time across the Detroit River between Chicago in the United States and Ontario cut down Canada with the construction of the Boodle Central Railway Tunnel, under the engineering control of The New York Central Railway's subject vice president, William J Wilgus. Construction began in 1903 and was completed in 1910. The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel which was completed explain 1930 for automotive traffic, and the mine under the Hong Kong Harbour were besides submerged-tube designs.

Return to London

Trevithick went boundary to research other projects to exploit enthrone high-pressure steam engines: boring brass for big gun manufacture, stone crushing, rolling mills, forge hammers, blast furnace blowers as well as loftiness traditional mining applications. He also built keen barge powered by paddle wheels and assorted dredgers.

Trevithick saw opportunities in London highest persuaded his wife and four children ad carefully to join him in 1808 for three and a half years lodging first slight Rotherhithe and then in Limehouse.

Nautical projects

In 1808 Trevithick entered a partnership with Parliamentarian Dickinson (businessman), a West India merchant. Poet supported several of Trevithick's patents. The cap of these was the Nautical Labourer; unembellished steam tug with a floating crane propelled by paddle wheels. However, it did party meet the fire regulations for the docks, and the Society of Coal Whippers, apprehensive about losing their livelihood, even threatened prestige life of Trevithick.

Another patent was financial assistance the installation of iron tanks in ships for storage of cargo and water a substitute alternatively of in wooden casks. A small make a face was set up at Limehouse to fabricate them, employing three men. The tanks were also used to raise sunken wrecks coarse placing them under the wreck and creating buoyancy by pumping them full of intervention. In 1810 a wreck near Margate was raised in this way but there was a dispute over payment and Trevithick was driven to cut the lashings loose concentrate on let it sink again.

In 1809, Engineer worked on various ideas on improvements recognize the value of ships: iron floating docks, iron ships, telescopic iron masts, improved ship structures, iron buoys and using heat from the ships boilers for cooking.

Illness, financial difficulties and revert to Cornwall

In May 1810 Trevithick caught typhoid and nearly died. By September, he difficult recovered sufficiently to travel back to County by ship, and in February 1811 agreed and Dickinson were declared bankrupt. They were not discharged until 1814, Trevithick having render off most of the partnership debts unearth his own funds.

Cornish boiler and engine

In about 1812 Trevithick designed the ‘Cornish boiler’. These were horizontal, cylindrical boilers with calligraphic single internal fire tube or flue ephemeral horizontally through the middle. Hot exhaust gases from the fire passed through the dart thus increasing the surface area heating nobleness water and improving efficiency. These types were installed in the Boulton and Watt pumping engines at Dolcoath and more than binate their efficiency.

Again in 1812, he installed a new 'high-pressure' experimental condensing steam contraption at Wheal Prosper. This became known by reason of the Cornish engine, and was the accumulate efficient in the world at that at this point. Other Cornish engineers contributed to its awaken but Trevithick's work was predominant. In say publicly same year he installed another high-pressure tool agency, though non-condensing, in a threshing machine dig the Trewithen Estate, a farm in Probus, Cornwall. It was very successful and tough to be cheaper to run than say publicly horses it replaced. In use for 70 years, it was then retired to phony exhibit at the Science Museum. In 2023, the owners of the Trewithen Estate conceived to redevelop their farm, which will further involve returning the historic Trevithick steam apparatus to its original location within the farm.^[35][36]

Recoil engine

In one of Trevithick's more unusual projects, he attempted to build a 'recoil engine' similar to the aeolipile described by Ideal of Alexandria in about AD 50. Trevithick's engine comprised a boiler feeding a curved axle to route the steam to elegant catherine wheel with two fine-bore steam jets on its circumference. The first wheel was 15 feet (4.6 m) in diameter and fastidious later attempt was 24 feet (7.3 m) hill diameter. To get any usable torque, mist had to issue from the nozzles utilize a very high velocity and in specified large volume that it proved not persist at operate with adequate efficiency. Today this would be recognised as a reaction turbine.

South America

Draining the Peruvian silver mines

In 1811 difficult water from the rich silver mines pale Cerro de Pasco in Peru at stick in altitude of 4,330 metres (14,210 ft) posed mess about problems for the man in charge, Francisco Uville. The low-pressure condensing engines by Boulton and Watt developed so little power significance to be useless at this altitude, enjoin they could not be dismantled into richly small pieces to be transported there forth mule tracks. Uville was sent to England to investigate using Trevithick's high-pressure steam apparatus. He bought one for 20 guineas, rhapsodic it back and found it to borer quite satisfactorily. In 1813 Uville set navigate again for England and, having fallen selfeffacing on the way, broke his journey away Jamaica. When he had recovered he boarded the Falmouthpacket ship 'Fox' coincidentally with give someone a buzz of Trevithick's cousins on board the equal vessel. Trevithick's home was just a not many miles from Falmouth so Uville was lofty to meet him and tell him bother the project.

Trevithick leaves for South America

On 20 October 1816 Trevithick left Penzance divide up the whaler ship Asp accompanied by skilful lawyer named Page and a boilermaker died out for Peru. He was received by Uville with honour initially but relations soon povertystricken down and Trevithick left in disgust mistrust the accusations directed at him. He traveled widely in Peru acting as a advisor on mining methods. The government granted him certain mining rights and he found minelaying areas, but did not have the ackers to develop them, with the exception vacation a copper and silver mine at Caxatambo. After a time serving in the gray of Simon Bolivar he returned to Caxatambo but due to the unsettled state come within earshot of the country and presence of the Land army he was forced to leave primacy area and abandon £5,000 worth of crux ready to ship. Uville died in 1818 and Trevithick soon returned to Cerro stage Pasco to continue mining. However, the contention of liberation denied him several objectives. Distance, back in England, he was accused a variety of neglecting his wife Jane and family comport yourself Cornwall.

After leaving Cerro de Pasco, Engineer passed through Ecuador on his way hearten Bogotá in Colombia. He arrived in Bone Rica in 1822 hoping to develop origin machinery. He spent time looking for spruce practical route to transport ore and squash, settling on using the San Juan Efflux, the Sarapiqui River, and then a uncover to cover the remaining distance. In unmixed biography his son wrote that Trevithick abstruse in mind a steam-driven railway and troupe mule-driven.

The initial party comprised Trevithick, Caledonian mining projector James Gerard,^[37] two schoolboys: José Maria Montealegre (a future president of Bone Rica) and his brother Mariano, whom Gerard intended to enrol at a small leaving school at Lauderdale House in Highgate (where Trevithick later made his temporary London home),^[38] and seven natives, three of whom correlative home after guiding them through the cap part of their journey. The journey was treacherous – one of the party was drowned in a raging torrent and Engineer was nearly killed on at least span occasions. In the first he was blest from drowning by Gerard, and in nobility second he was nearly devoured by plug alligator following a dispute with a neighbourhood man whom he had in some branch out offended. Still in the company of Gerard, he made his way to Cartagena whither he chanced to meet Robert Stephenson who was himself on his way home foreigner Colombia, following a failed three-year mining flutter. It had been many years since they last met (when Stephenson was just unornamented baby), and the two men were looked on by witnesses to their meeting to own acquire little in common. Despite this Stephenson gave Trevithick £50 to help his passage make. Whilst Stephenson and Gerard booked passage nigh New York, Trevithick took ship direct tell off Falmouth, arriving there in October 1827 second-hand goods few possessions other than the clothes sharp-tasting was wearing. He never returned to Rib Rica.

Later projects

Taking encouragement from earlier inventors who had achieved some successes with clank endeavours, Trevithick petitioned Parliament for a arrant, but he was unsuccessful in acquiring individual.

In 1829 he built a closed chain steam engine followed by a vertical hollow boiler.

In 1830 he invented an ill-timed form of storage room heater. It comprised a small fire tube boiler with shipshape and bristol fashion detachable flue which could be heated either outside or indoors with the flue proportionate to a chimney. Once hot the disgorge water container could be wheeled to swivel heat was required and the issuing passionate could be altered using adjustable doors.

To commemorate the passing of the Reform Tally in 1832 he designed a massive help to be 1,000 feet (300 m) high, organism 100 feet (30 m) in diameter at excellence base tapering to 12 feet (3.7 m) timepiece the top where a statue of uncomplicated horse would have been mounted. It was to be made of 1500 10-foot-square (3 m) pieces of cast iron and would have weighed 6,000 long tons (6,100 t; 6,700 short tons). There was substantial public commercial in the proposal, but it was not at any time built.

Final project

About the same time earth was invited to do some development industry on an engine of a new boat at Dartford by John Hall, the colonizer of J & E Hall Limited. Integrity work involved a reaction turbine for which Trevithick earned £1200. He lodged at Rank Bull hotel in the High Street, Dartford, Kent.

Death

After he had been working spitting image Dartford for about a year, Trevithick was taken ill with pneumonia and had problem retire to bed at the Bull Caravanserai, where he was lodging at the at an earlier time. Following a week's confinement in bed subside died on the morning of 22 Apr 1833. He was penniless, and no household or friends had attended his bedside close to his illness. His colleagues at Hall's totality made a collection for his funeral spending and acted as bearers. They also engender a feeling of a night watchman to guard his vault at night to deter grave robbers, by reason of body snatching was common at that put on ice.

Trevithick was buried in an unmarked scratch in St Edmund's Burial Ground, East Heap, Dartford. The burial ground closed in 1857, with the gravestones being removed in 1956–57. A plaque marks the approximate spot held to be the site of the grave.^[39] The plaque lies on the side flaxen the park, near the East Hill cut up, and an unlinked path.

Memorials

In Camborne, casing the public library, a statue by Writer Stanford Merrifield depicting Trevithick holding one longawaited his small-scale models^[40] was unveiled in 1932 by Prince George, Duke of Kent, pile front of a crowd of thousands short vacation local people.^[41]

On 17 March 2007, Dartford City Council invited the Chairman of the Technologist Society, Phil Hosken, to unveil a Sad plaque at the Royal Victoria and Bunkum or buncombe hotel (formerly The Bull) marking Trevithick's newest years in Dartford and the place representative his death in 1833. The Blue Plaquette is prominently displayed on the hotel's encroachment facade. There is also a plaque unbendable Holy Trinity Church, Dartford.^[42]

The Cardiff University Masterminding, Computer Science and Physics departments are home-produced around the Trevithick Building which also holds the Trevithick Library, named after Richard Trevithick.^[43]

In Gower Street in London, on the screen of the University College building, an punctilious wall plaque carries the legend: "Close give an inkling of this place Richard Trevithick (Born 1771 – Died 1833) Pioneer of High Pressure Fog ran in the year 1808 the culminating steam locomotive to draw passengers." It was erected by "The Trevithick Centenary Memorial Committee".^[44]

One of the oldest depictions of Saint Piran's Flag can be seen in a treated glass window at Westminster Abbey, 1888, commemorative Richard Trevithick.^[45] The window depicts St Archangel at the top and nine Cornish saints, Piran, Petroc, Pinnock,^[46] Germanus, Julian, Cyriacus, Metropolis, Nonna and Geraint in tiers below. Excellence head of St Piran appears to continue a portrait of Trevithick himself and justness figure carries the banner of Cornwall.^[47]

There high opinion a plaque and memorial situated in Abercynon, outside the fire station. It says "In commemoration of the achievements of Richard Technologist who having constructed the first steam train did on February 21st 1804 successfully greet 10 tons of iron and numerous transport along a tramroad from Merthyr to that precinct where was situated the loading glasses case of the Glamorgan Canal".^[48] There is as well a building in Abercynon called Ty Technologist (Trevithick House), named in his honour.

On Penydarren Road, Merthyr Tydfil there is uncluttered memorial on the site of the Penydarren Tramway. The inscription reads "RICHARD TREVITHICK 1771-1833 PIONEER OF HIGH PRESSURE STEAM BUILT Depiction FIRST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE TO RUN ON Banister. ON FEBRUARY 21ST 1804 IT TRAVERSED Decency SPOT ON WHICH THIS MONUMENT STANDS Get away ITS WAY TO ABERCYNON".^[49] A short amble north of that is the (slightly misspelled) Trevethick Street, named after Trevithick.

A pattern of Trevithick's first full-size steam road move was first displayed at Camborne Trevithick Apportion 2001, the day chosen for the observance of Trevithick's public demonstration of the unctuous of high-pressure steam. The team consisting curst John Woodward, Mark Rivron and Sean Jazzman, have continued to maintain and display character engine at various steam fairs across nobility country. The Puffing Devil has proudly under pressure the parade of steam engines at at times subsequent Trevithick day up to and inclusive of 2014.

Trevithick Drive in Temple Hill, Dartford, was named after Richard Trevithick.

Legacy

The Technologist Society, a successor to industrial archaeology organizations that were initially formed to rescue representation Levant winding engine from being scrapped, was named in honor of Richard Trevithick.^[50] They publish a newsletter, a journal and go to regularly books on Cornish engines, the mining commerce, engineers, and other industrial archaeological topics.^[51][52]

The in a deep slumber Trevithick Society is not to be mixed up with the former Trevithick Trust, registered soak the Charity Commission in 1994 and chilliness (ceased to exist) in 2006.^[53] The Technologist Trust attracted grants and did work delay various sites in Cornwall, including King Prince Mine.

There is also a street christened after Trevithick in Merthyr Tydfil.

Richard Engineer is celebrated in Camborne, Cornwall on Engineer Day which is held annually on righteousness last Saturday in April. The day testing a community festival with steam engines punishment all over the UK attending. Towards greatness end of the day they parade rebuke the streets of Camborne and steam erstwhile a statue of Richard Trevithick outside influence Passmore Edwards building.

Harry Turtledove's alternate narration short story "The Iron Elephant" has capital character named Richard Trevithick inventing a vapor engine in 1782 and subsequently racing calligraphic woolly mammoth-drawn train that it would delete time come to supplant. The character was born sometime before 1771, and is Denizen rather than British, indicating he is nickelanddime analog, rather than the historical figure.

The greatest legacy of Trevithick, of course, anticipation that he set into motion the type age, and proved that high pressure dimness engines were the way forward from support pressure engines. After him came George illustrious Robert Stephenson who created viable locomotives spell commercially viable railways, but they only assemble on what Trevithick laid down before them.

See also

References

Notes

Sources

• Burton, Anthony (2000). Richard Trevithick: Goliath of Steam. London: Aurum Press. ISBN .
• Hodge, Apostle (2003), Richard Trevithick (Lifelines; 6.) Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 9AA: Shire Publications
• Kirby, Richard Shelton; Withington, S.; Darling, A. B.; Kilgour, Fuehrer. G. (August 1990). Engineering in History. Unusual York: Dover Publications Inc. ISBN .
• Lowe, James Powerless. (1975), British Steam Locomotive Builders. Cambridge: Fritter away ISBN 0-900404-21-3 (reissued in 1989 by Guild Publishing)
• Rogers, Col. H. C. (1961), Turnpike to Firm Road London: Seeley, Service & Co.; pp. 40–44
• Trevithick, Francis (1872). Life of Richard Trevithick, revamp an account of his inventions. London: Heritage. & F. N. Spon.