Stockton & Darlington Railway, inEngland, firstrailway in the world to operatefreight and passenger service with steam traction. In 1821George Stephenson, who had built several steam engines to work in the Killingworth colliery, heard ofEdward Pease’s intention of building an 8-mile (12.9-km) line from Stockton on the coast toDarlington to exploit a rich vein of coal. Pease intended to use horse traction. Stephenson told Pease that asteam engine could pull 50 times the load that horses could draw on iron rails. Impressed, Pease agreed to let Stephenson equip his line.

On September 27, 1825, the first engine ran from Darlington to Stockton, preceded by a man on horseback carrying a flag readingPericulum privatum utilitas publica (“The private danger is the public good”). When the horseman was out of the way, Stephenson opened the throttle and pulled his train of wagons carrying 450 persons at a speed of 15 miles (24 km) per hour.