Victory of the " Rocket " Locomotive 



engine should be tried separately, and on differ- 

 ent days. 



The day fixed for the competition was the ist 

 of October, but, to allow sufficient time to get 

 the locomotives into good working order, the 

 directors extended it to the 6th. It was quite 

 characteristic of the Stephensons that, although 

 their engine did not stand first on the list for 

 trial, it was the first that was ready, and it was 

 accordingly ordered out by the judges for an 

 experimental trip. Yet the " Rocket " was by no 

 means the "favourite" with either the judges or 

 the spectators. Nicholas Wood has since stated 

 that the majority of the judges were strongly pre- 

 disposed in favour of the "Novelty," and that 

 "nine-tenths, if not ten-tenths, of the persons 

 present were against the * Rocket ' because of its 

 appearance." Nearly every person favoured 

 some other engine, so that there was nothing for 

 the "Rocket" but the practical test. The first 

 trip made by it was quite successful. It ran 

 about twelve miles, without interruption, in 

 about fifty-three minutes. 



The " Novelty " was next called out. It was a 

 light engine, very compact in appearance, carry- 

 ing the water and fuel upon the same wheels as 

 the engine. The weight of the whole was only 

 three tons and one hundred-weight. A pecu- 

 liarity of this engine was that the air was driven 

 or forced through the fire by means of bellows. 

 The day being now far advanced, and some dis- 

 pute having arisen as to the method of assigning 

 179 



