Site of Plymouth Ironworks/Trevithick Tunnel Continued
At the Plymouth furnaces, the carefully graded line of
the Penydarren Tramroad was
forced to run in a short tunnel
some eight feet wide and eight feet high beneath the furnace
charging area. This would have provided ample room for horse
drawn trams but perhaps made things difficult for the
passing of a steam locomotive.
It was of course along this line on the 21st. February
1804 that the steam locomotive, constructed at the
Penydarren Ironwoks by Richard Trevithick, made its historic
journey. There has been much discussion about some of the
details relating to the event and even a debate regarding
the design of the locomotive that Trevithick constructed at
Samuel Homphray’s Penydarren Ironworks.
Much Merthyr folklore has also grown up around the event
but letters written by Richard Trevithick to his friend and
scientific mentor Davies Gilbert (Giddy) do paint quite a
detailed picture of the event.
Penydarran, 15th. February, 1804
“Last Saturday we lighted the fire in the Tram Waggon and
it worked without the wheels to try the engine, and Monday
we put it on the Tram Road. It worked very well and ran up
hill and down with great ease, and very managable. we have
plenty of steam and power. I expect it to work again
tomorrow. Mr. Homphray and the gentleman I mentioned in my
last will be home tomorrow. The bet will not be determined
until the middle of Next week at which time I shod be very
happy to see you”
The bet Trevithick mentions in this letter refers to a wager
of 500 guineas between Samuel Homphray and Richard Crawshay
of the Cyfarthfa works. The latter of course doubted the
ability of his rival‘s locomotive to haul ten tons of iron
from Merthyr to Navigation and return with the empty drams.
An argument had it seems grown into a matter with serious
consequences so Richard Hill was engaged to act as stake
holder and referee in the trial. Although a later letter
from Trevithick tells with great delight the events of
February 21st., whether payment of the bet was actually made
or not, has always remained in doubt.
Penydarran, February 22nd 1804
“ Sir – Yesterday we proceeded on our journey with the
engine; we carried 10 tons of iron, five wagons, and seventy
men riding on them the whole of the journey. It is above
nine miles, which we performed in four hours and five
minutes. We had to cut down some trees and remove some large
rocks out of the road. The engine while working went nearly
five miles per hour; no water was put in the boiler from the
time we started until we arrived at journey’s end .On our
return journey home, about five miles from the shipping
place of the iron, one of the small bolts that fastened the
axle to the boiler broke, and all the water ran out of the
boiler, which prevented the return of the engine until this
evening”.
<< Previous