Thursday 28 January 2021

History Lesson - Killingworth Billy

For today's History lesson, we look at Billy.

The oldest locomotive in the collection at the Stephenson steam railway is Billy. A loco with a long and much-debated history. What we do know is that Billy was working at Killingworth Colliery in 1867, where it was overhauled in the colliery workshop. It is a George Stephenson type engine, with two vertical cylinders set into the top of the boiler. It was retired in 1881 and steamed for the last time that June, to celebrate George Stephensons 100th birthday. It was then placed on display on the high-level bridge, where it remained till moved to a plinth in Central Station in 1896. It moved again in 1945 to Exhibition park, before moving to the Stephenson Steam Railway.

There are two theories surrounding Billy’s early life.
The first was that she is Robert Stephenson & co number 2, delivered in 1826 to Springwell colliery. Working on the colliery railway between Springwell & Jarrow (it acquired the name billy here too) until transferred to Killingworth in 1863.
The second theory, states that the surviving Billy was an early George Stephenson machine, built at Killingworth in 1816. And spent its whole working life on the Killingworth Waggonway til preserved in 1881. Modern archaeology of the locomotive by Dr Michael Bailey, suggests the later theory is most likely. Making it the third-oldest steam railway loco and oldest standard gauge loco in existence. An amazing survivor from the early days of railways.







Photo credits:
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
NTSRA Archive


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