George Stephenson (1781-1848). A self-educa

George Stephenson (1781-1848). A self-educated man, Stephenson commenced his working life as a cowherd, later working at coalpits. His mechanical mind was noticed by his employers and by 1812 he was an engine-wright earning 100 pounds a year. In 1813 he was commisioned to design a steam locomotive for the Killingworth wagonway. He was the engineer for the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1825) and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (1829). He advised on the construction of the Belgian State Railway (1835) and was involved with the construction of many of the English railways. Stephenson is known as 'the father of railways'.