Locomotion No.1 Face Mask

Description

The face mask features Locomotion No.1 hauling waggons and a passenger coach. Locomotion No.1 was the first locomotive to be commissioned by the Stockton & Darlington Railway and came into official operation on 27th September 1825 – the opening of the S&DR. It was designed by George Stephenson and made in the Stephenson Works in Forth Street, Newcastle with the assistance of Timothy Hackworth. Hackworth also went on to make a number of improvements to it once it became operational including designing the new plug wheels, less prone to breaking than the wheels supplied by Stephenson. The plug wheels can be seen on the locomotive on the face mask. The water required to make the steam was originally carried in a large water barrel built in Darlington, as you can see on the mask, but this was later replaced with a tank.