No.1 Locomotive hauled the first passenger train in New South Wales on the line between Sydney and Parramatta in 1855. It is one of the most significant objects in the Museum's collection relating to the history of New South Wales and has been in the Museum's possession for well over a century. It was designed and built in England by Robert Stephenson & Co., of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and is significant in British railway history as it is a very rare survivor of a McConnell-designed goods express locomotive of the early 1850s. It is believed to be the only known example of its type in the world.
The establishment of a railway in New South Wales commenced in 1846 when a private company, the Sydney Railway company, was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney and Parramatta. Work on the construction commenced in 1851 but labour shortages and internal debates made progress slow. In January 1855 four locomotives arrived by ship including Locomotive No.1 which hauled the first passenger train, a special service, from Sydney Station to Long Cove viaduct (near the present site of Lewisham) on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria's birthday.
The high cost of constructing the railway presented the directors of the Sydney Railway Company with innumerable problems and in September 1855 the New South Wales Government assumed responsibility for its operation. The line was officially opened on 26 September 1855 with No. 3 Locomotive hauling the official train, as No. 1 was out of service that day. The line of 14 miles took 50 minutes with four intermediate stations between Sydney and Parramatta at Newtown, Ashfield, Burwood and Homebush. On the first day a total of 3 554 passengers were carried and the fares to Parramatta were 4 shillings, 3 shillings and 2 shillings respectively for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. The event attracted crowds of people dressed in their finery eager to be the first passengers. The railway proved such a great success but the locomotives were too heavy for the Barlow rails then in use.
From 1857 Locomotive No.1 was used mainly for hauling goods and passengers between Sydney, Campbelltown, Richmond and Penrith. It was withdrawn from service in 1877 after 22 years of operation, having travelled 155 667 miles (250 468 km). After retirement No. 1 languished in "Rotten Row", an area at the Railway Workshops at Eveleigh where old engines were put pending reconstruction or final condemnation. It was later refitted with parts of other engines of its class by the Railways and presented to the Museum on 8 May 1884. No. 1 Locomotive was initially displayed in the Museum's original building, an Agricultural Hall in the Domain behind Sydney Hospital. Later, in 1893, the engine was housed in a small building behind the Museum's second home in Harris Street, Ultimo. During the late 1970s No.1 underwent an extensive restoration and conservation program. Each part was stripped down, cleaned and polished to reveal the individually stamped numbers. This process found conclusively that the locomotive was made predominantly of No. 1 Locomotive parts as well as parts of locomotive Nos.2, 3 and 4.
The six-wheel tender of No.1 Locomotive was still in service in 1878 although it appears to have been withdrawn soon after. It was restored in 1955 for the New South Wales Railways' Centenary celebrations and later presented to the Museum for display with No.1 Locomotive. Since 1988 No.1 Locomotive and tender have been displayed with 1st, 2nd and 3rd class carriages of the day in a permanent exhibition in the Museum.
Andrew Grant, 2005
No. 1 Locomotive was designed by James Edward McConnell, a Consulting Engineer with Robert Stephenson & Co. at the time. McConnell had been a Locomotive Superintendent South Division with the London & North Western Railway. The locomotive was an 0-4-2 modification of the fast 0-6-0 goods express engines designed by McConnell for the London & North Western Railway and introduced in 1854. None of these survived after 1887 so No.1 Locomotive is of great interest to British locomotive historians.
The locomotive was built by the English firm of Robert Stephenson and Company, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, the son of the famous pioneer of railways, George Stephenson (1781-1844). Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) was born at Willington Quay, Northumberland, England and studied at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Edinburgh. Robert assisted his father to survey the Stockton and Darlington railway. At the age of nineteen Robert Stephenson was appointed to manage the locomotive works established by his father George and funded by Edward Pease and Michael Longridge in June 1823. Not only did Robert manage the works at such a young age but the company bore his name. It was established at Forth Street in Newcastle with Robert as manager and George providing plans for the engines. "Locomotion No.1" was built in 1825 and locomotives were exported to America in 1828, France in 1829, Germany in 1833, and Russia in 1835 By the end of the 1830s Robert Stephenson and Company had exported to almost every European country. By 1855 the company had built over 1000 locomotives including a wide variety of types and gauges. On 1 January 1937 the company merged with R.W. Hawthorn & Co. to become Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn Ltd. Over a 112-year period a total of 4 185 steam locomotives were built.
From the earliest days of settlement in New South Wales the transportation of goods posed many problems. This situation worsened when explorers Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813, opening the way into the interior. As settlement spread quickly the crudely made roads increased the time and expense of transporting goods. At about the same time in England and America railways were being hailed as a fast, efficient and relatively inexpensive transportation systems and in the 1830s suggestions were offered that New South Wales should also have a railway.
No.1 Locomotive was one of four locomotives which arrived in Sydney on the "John Fielding" (or "Fielden") and landed at Campbell's Wharf, Circular Quay on 13 January 1855. The locomotives were hauled by a team of twenty horses to Slade's dairy paddock, near the site of the old railway stores building at Eveleigh, then placed on tracks and drawn into a temporary shed not far from the present Redfern Railway Station. William Scott, locomotive engineer with Robert Stephenson, who brought the locomotives out, then prepared them for service.
On 29 March 1855 No.1 undertook a trial run as far as Newtown and was subsequently employed as the ballast train from 26 April. It hauled the first passenger train, a special service, from Sydney Station to Long Cove viaduct (near the present site of Lewisham) on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria's birthday. The high cost of constructing the railway presented the directors of the Sydney Railway Company with innumerable problems and in September 1855 the New South Wales Government assumed responsibility for its operation.
The line was officially opened on 26 September 1855 with No.3 hauling the first passenger train leaving at 9 am, followed by No. 2 Locomotive hauling the official train at 11 am. The engine driver for the official service was William Sixsmith while the fireman was William Webster. Locomotive No. 4 left at noon while No. 1 was out of service that day and did not run. The line was 14 miles in length and had five stations: Newtown, Ashfield, Burwood, Homebush and Parramatta. On the first day a total of 3,554 passengers were carried and the fares to Parramatta were 4 shillings, 3 shillings and 2 shillings respectively for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. The event attracted crowds of people dressed in their finery eager to be the first passengers. The service proved a great success but the locomotives were too heavy for the Barlow rails then in use.
As lighter locomotives became available in Sydney the original four locomotives were confined to goods train working and shunting duties. After 1857 No. 1 Locomotive was used mainly for hauling goods and passengers between Sydney, Campbelltown, Richmond and Penrith.
By October 1859 there were six trains per weekday to Paramatta and four of these continued to and from Campbelltown. The trip to Parramatta took 50 minutes. After 22 years, No. 1 was withdrawn from service on 15 March 1877, having travelled 155 667 miles (250 468 km). During that time it had been involved in two accidents, both of which involved loss of life. On 10 July 1858 two people were killed and a number were injured when some of the carriages hauled by No. 1 left the rails. A few years later, on 6 January 1868, a man was killed when No. 1 collided with a passenger train at Newtown station. The engine was extensively damaged and required major repairs. After retirement No. 1 languished in "Rotten Row", an area at the Railway Workshops at Eveleigh where old engines were put pending reconstruction or final condemnation.
No.1 Locomotive was owned and operated by the New South Wales Government Railways from 1855 until withdrawn from service in 1877. It was later refitted with parts of other engines of its class by the Railways and presented to the Museum on 8 May 1884. The locomotive was initially displayed in the Museum's original building, an Agricultural Hall in the Domain behind Sydney Hospital. Later, in 1893, the engine was housed in a small building behind the Museum's second home in Harris Street, Ultimo. During the late 1970s No.1 underwent an extensive restoration and conservation programme. Each part was stripped down, cleaned and polished to reveal the individually stamped numbers. This process found conclusively that the locomotive comprised predominantly of No. 1 Locomotive parts as well as parts of locomotive Nos. 2, 3 and 4.
The six-wheel tender of No.1 Locomotive was still in service in 1878 although it appears to have been withdrawn soon after. It was restored in 1955 for the New South Wales Railways' Centenary celebrations and later presented to the Museum for display with No.1 Locomotive. Since 1988 No.1 Locomotive and tender have been displayed with 1st, 2nd and 3rd class carriages of the day in a permanent exhibition at the Museum.
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