Stephenson Fact File (6 of 8)

The Stephenson Fact File - 2nd (E-publishing) Edition (6 of 8)

Recommended Further Reading

Some of the books listed are very old and may well be out of print. The suggested searching sequence for information is as follows:

Local Libraries. They will generally lend books that are of relatively recent publication - i.e. Twentieth Century.
The Central Libraries. They may have reference only copies, and will know of any reserve copies held there or elsewhere.
The County Public Records Offices. They sometimes hold unusual and specialist books having local relevance.
The National Railway Museum, York. Specialist comprehensive library, but no loans, reading appointments necessary. ( 01904 621261)
The Stephenson Locomotive Society Library at Hersham, Surrey. Loans are available by arrangement.
Specialist libraries dealing in transport subjects. e.g. Brunel University Library. ( 01895 74000.
Specialist transport and Antiquarian Booksellers. They often obtain old publications for sale. Consult trade directories for addresses.
The Stephenson Engineering Centre. ( 0191 261 865). They have CD-ROM of original papers, minute books, records etc.
The British Library, if all else fails. ( 020 7636 1544)

Biographical accounts of the principals:

Perceptions of great engineers - Fact and Fantasy. The Science Museum. 1994. ISBN 0 901805 65 3

A collection of papers based upon recent research. They attempt to explode many long-standing myths and are important reading for a proper appreciation of the contributions made by not only the engineers concerned, but also their biographers.

Lives of the Engineers - Vol. 3 George and Robert Stephenson. Samuel Smiles. David & Charles. ISBN X 791661 8

Reprint of an 1862 edition written by a contemporary of the Stephensons. A widely read work which popularised the legend of George Stephenson.

Life of Robert Stephenson, F.R.S. J.C.Jeaffreson. 2 vols, Longmans. 1867. No ISBN available.

George and Robert Stephenson, the Railway Revolution. L.T.C. Rolt. Longmans. 1967. ISBNs 0 140076 46 8 & 0 140220 63 1

George Stephenson, the Remarkable Life of the Founder of the Railways. Hunter Davies. Hamlyn Paperbacks. 1980. ISBN 0 29 776934 0

George Stephenson, the Engineer and his Letters. W.O. Skeat. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 1973. ISBN 0 852981 50 3

A record of correspondence, including accounts of his life at Chesterfield.

The Railway Stephensons. M ichael Jamieson. Oriel Press. 1970. ISBN 0 853621 01 2

The Stephenson Centenary. W.Duncan. E.W.Allen. 1881. Reprinted 1975. Frank Graham. No ISBN available.

The Other Stephensons, The Story of the Family of George and Robert Stephenson. Robert Stephenson Roper. Self-published. ISBN 0 951630 70 9

Covers the general genealogy of the family.

Biographical accounts of contemporaries and associates:

Personal Recollections of English Engineers and of the Introduction of the Railway System in the U.K. F.R.Conder. Hodder & Stoughton. 1868. ISBN X 067015 X

Accounts of the times by a pupil of Robert Stephenson.

Anecdotes, Reminiscence and conversations of and with George Stephenson. Thomas Summerside. 1878. No ISBN available.

Recollections of the times by a personal friend of Stephenson.

Pictures of the past, Memories of men I have met and Places I have seen. F.H. Grundy. 1879. No ISBN available.

Personal recollections of a contemporary of the Stephensons.

The Calculating Boy. E.F. Clark. KSL Publications. 1983. ISBN 0 950854 30 1

An account of the life of George Parker Bidder, a gifted mathematician, Civil Engineer, and lifelong friend and business acquaintance of Robert Stephenson.

The Cabry Family - Railway Engineers. Brian Lewis. Railway & Canal Historical Society. 1994. No ISBN available.

Contains details of the family's working arrangements with the Stephensons.

The Men Who Built Railways. F.R Conder. Edited by Jack Simmons. Batsford. 1983. ISBN 0 727701 83 5

A researched reprint that identifies many of the leading characters of the day, described anonymously in the original text.

The Railway King. R.S.Lambert. ISBNs Z 117878 6 & B 641088 2

Profile of George Hudson and accounts of his dealings with the Stephensons.

George Hudson of York. Peacock AJ & Joy. Clapham Yorks. Dalesman. 1971. No ISBN available.

The Life of Joseph Locke. Joseph Fevey. London. Bentley 1862. No ISBN available.

Life of Richard trevithick. Francis trevithick. London. Spoon. 1872. No ISBN available.

The First Locomotive Engineers. L.G. Charlton. Frank Graham. 1974. ISBN 0 859830 51 9

Brief descriptions of the major competitors.

A Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers. John Marshall. David & Charles. 1978. ISBN 0 715374 89 3

A formal reference work containing entries for all contemporaries.

The two James and the two Stephensons. E.M.S. Paine. London. George Phipps. 1861. No ISBN available.

The Diaries of Edward Pease. A.E. Pease. London. Headley. 1907. No ISBN available.

Life of Charles Blacker Vignoles. Vignoles O.J. London. Longman 1899. No ISBN available.

General - Railways

The London & Birmingham Railway Companion. Arthur Freeling. Whittaker & Co. 1838. ISBN Z 110638 X

Ancient guide to the traveller upon the line.

The Midland Railway - Its Rise and Progress. F.S.Williams. David and Charles reprint of 1876 edition. ISBN X 158087 3

Comprehensive account of the growth of major lines in the Stephenson network.

Centenary History of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Locomotive Publishing Co. 1930. No ISBN available.

The Hetton & Bowes Railways - Bulletin No.13. Colin E. Mountford. The North-East Industrial Archaeology Society. 1971. No ISBN available.

Exploring the Stockton & Darlington Railway. P.W.B.Semmens. Frank Graham. 1975. No ISBN available.

The Bowes Railway. Colin E. Mountford. 1976. ISBN 0 901096 25 3

Industrial Railway Society and Tyne & Wear Industrial Monuments trust.

The Liverpool & Manchester Railway. R.H.G. Thomas. B.T. Batsford. 1980. ISBN 0 713405 37 6

Contains good illustrations of the major features of the railway.

The London & Birmingham Railway. David Gould. David & Charles reprint. 1990. ISBN 0 718389 68 8

Illustrations of the major civil engineering features of the L&B.

History of the English Railway. John Francis. London. Longman, Green. 1851. No ISBN available.

A History of British Railways. Marshall Dendy. London. OUP 1938. No ISBN available.

Railways in England. C. von Oeynhausen & H. von Dechen. Newcomen Society. 1971. ISBN 0 852700 48 2

Reprint of an early German survey of English Railways.

The Oxford Companion to British Railway History. Ed. Jack Simmons & Gordon Biddle. Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0 19 211697 5.

Structural Works:

The Britannia and Conway Tubular Bridges. Edwin Clarke. 2 vols. Day and Son. 1850. No ISBN available.

Full details and drawings of Robert Stephenson's innovative bridges.

The Railway Heritage of Britain. Gordon Biddle and O.S. Nock. Michael Joseph. 1983. ISBN 0 718123 55 7

A pictorial record of 150 years of railway architecture and engineering.

Driving the Clay Cross Tunnel. Cliff Williams. Chalford. 1984. No ISBN available.

The High Level Bridge and Newcastle Central Station John Addyman and Bill Fawcett. North Eastern Railway Association for the High Level Bridge and Central Station 150 Committee, 1999. ISBN 18735 28 3.

Locomotives:

A Century of Locomotive building by Robert Stephenson & Company 1823 - 1923. J.G.H. Warren. 1923. Reprinted by David & Charles. ISBN 0 715343 78 5

Exhaustive account of the Newcastle engineering works.

Railway Magazine Vol. XI (1902). Page 289. A Cradle of the Locomotive. E.M.Bywell. A history of the Stephenson's Forth Banks and South Street engineering works, with good illustrations of the locomotives built there.

Locomotive Profile No. 7 - The Rocket. Brian Reed. ISBNs X 073626 7 & 0 853830 52 5

Timothy Hackworth and the Locomotive. Young. Loco Publishing Co. 1923.

An important work outlining the contribution made by a rival for the title “Father of the Locomotive”.

The Rainhill Story - The Great Locomotive trial. Anthony Burton. BBC Publications. 1980. ISBN 0 563177 36 5

An account of the trials and success of Robert Stephenson's engine Rocket, together with details of its competitors.

British Steam Locomotives 1825 - 1925. E.L. Ahrons. Loco Publishing Co. 1936. No ISBN available.

The British Railway Locomotive 1803 - 1853. G.F. Westcott. The Science Museum. 1958. ISBN 0 112901 52 2

Excellent illustrations of many of Stephenson locomotives.

Miscellaneous Booklets and Papers:

The Newcomen Society transactions.

Vol 50 - 1978/79 p109 Robert Stephenson & Co. 1823 - 1829. Michael Bailey.

Vol 52 - 1980/81 p171 George Stephenson - Locomotive Advocate:The Background to the Rainhill trials. Michael Bailey.

Other Works of Interest

A Practical treatise on Railroads. Nicholas Wood. Hurst, Chance. 1825, 1831, 1838. No ISBN available.

Our Iron Roads. F.S.Williams. Vol. 1. Gresham Books reprint of 1850 edition. ISBN 0 714614 44 0

Victorian Railwaymen: Emergence and Growth of Railway Labour 1830-1870. Kingsford. F Cass. 1930. ISBN 0 714613 31 2

The Railway Navvies. Terry Coleman. Hutchinson. 1965. ISBN x 498232 x

Gauge Evidence - Report by commission to determine the Battle of the Gauges. 1970s. Based on 1846 report.

Nineteenth Century Railway History - through the Illustrated London News. Anthony J. Lambert. David & Charles. 1984. ISBN 0 715385 21 6

Profile of George Stephenson. Account of the Battle of the Gauges.

Stephensons' Britain. Derek Beckett. David & Charles. 1984.

The Archaeology of the transport Revolution 1750-1850. P.J.G. Ransom. Book Club Associates. 1986. ISBN 0 433714 33 5x

The Railway in Town and Country. Jack Simmons. David & Charles. 1986. ISBN Z 125775 8

The World the Railways Made. Nicholas Faith. The Bodley Head. 1990. ISBN 0 370312 99 6

Railway Builders. Anthony Burton. J. Murray. 1992. ISBN 0 719550 84 X

Clay Cross and the Clay Cross Company. Cliff Williams. Chalford. 1995. No ISBN available.

A pictorial account of the company set in the heart of George Stephenson country.