William Hedley

Biography

William Hedley (1779–1843) was an English colliery viewer (manager) at the Wylam Colliery west of Newcastle who, with the colliery's enginewright Jonathan Forster and blacksmith Timothy Hackworth, designed Puffing Billy and Wylam Dilly in 1813–1814, the world's oldest surviving railway locomotives.

Born at Newburn-on-Tyne on 13 July 1779, Hedley was appointed Wylam's viewer in 1805. The colliery's existing horse-worked tramroad was hard-pressed to handle output, and Hedley first explored the question of whether a smooth-rim wheel on a smooth rail could provide enough adhesion to haul a useful train, settling decisively that it could, and thus making redundant Blenkinsop's rack-rail patent.

The first Hedley/Forster engine Grasshopper of 1813 was followed by the surviving Puffing Billy and Wylam Dilly. Both worked the colliery for nearly fifty years and are now preserved at the Science Museum, London, and the National Museum of Scotland respectively. Hedley remained at Wylam until 1827, building a fortune from his colliery interests, and died at Newburn House on 9 January 1843.

Locomotives designed

Chittaprat — An 1815 William Hedley-built Wylam Colliery locomotive that proved unsuccessful and was quickly superseded; named for the distinctive irregular exhaust beat ("chitta-prat") of its unevenly set valves. Worked briefly at Wylam alongside Puffing Billy before being broken up.
Puffing Billy — William Hedley's 1813 Wylam Colliery locomotive, the oldest surviving steam locomotive in the world. Built at Wylam Colliery's own workshops to a design by colliery viewer Hedley with engineman Jonathan Forster and blacksmith Timothy Hackworth, Puffing Billy demonstrated for the first time that simple wheel-on-rail adhesion (without rack-and-pinion drive) was sufficient for steam locomotion, a fundamental discovery that shaped all subsequent locomotive practice. The engine worked at Wylam from 1814 to 1862, nearly 50 years' service. Currently on permanent display at the Science Museum, London.
Wylam Dilly — Sister engine to Puffing Billy and one of the two oldest surviving steam locomotives in the world. Built at Wylam Colliery in approximately 1815 to William Hedley's design (with Jonathan Forster and Timothy Hackworth), Wylam Dilly is the sister of Puffing Billy of 1813, both engines using the same general arrangement and working the Wylam Waggonway from Wylam Colliery to the staiths at Lemington-on-Tyne. The engine worked at Wylam from approximately 1815 to 1862, nearly 50 years' service. Currently on permanent display at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Born	13 July 1779
Died	9 January 1843
Nationality	English
Employer	Wylam Colliery (viewer / colliery agent from 1805)