Hetton Tallyho
Tallyho was one of the original steam locomotives of the Hetton Colliery Railway, built to George Stephenson's design around 1822. It completed the set of five original Stephenson locomotives — Dart, Hetton, Star, Tallyho, and one unnamed — that opened the Hetton Colliery Railway in November 1822, one of the world's first purely steam-operated railways.
The name Tallyho — derived from the traditional fox-hunting cry shouted on sighting the fox — was a lively and energetic choice, consistent with the sporting and colloquial naming style seen on several early locomotives of the period, including the Rainhill contestant Novelty and various early mail-coach names that early locomotive builders drew on. It suggests a sense of humour and informality in the naming conventions of the very first generation of steam locomotives.
Tallyho was not preserved. For the broader context of the Hetton Colliery Railway fleet, see the Hetton Colliery locomotives entry.
Identification features
Standard Hetton-pattern 0-4-0 with long horizontal boiler, twin vertical in-boiler cylinders, side-rod coupled driving wheels, and a tall vertical chimney.
Numbers and names
Named locomotives (outside the listed ranges)
- 0 — Tallyho
Single named locomotive.
Notable locomotives
- Tallyho (1820, not preserved)