North Star
Design and development
Following the success of Rocket at the Rainhill Trials in October 1829, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway placed orders with Robert Stephenson & Co. for a fleet of locomotives capable of working the line on its planned 1830 opening. North Star was one of this first generation of L&MR engines, broadly to the Rocket pattern but progressively refined as construction continued through the early months of 1830.
The 0-2-2 layout — single pair of driving wheels at the front, single pair of carrying wheels at the rear — provided a relatively light but fast locomotive suited to the L&MR's mixed passenger and freight workings.
Service and withdrawals
North Star entered service on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830 and worked passenger and light freight trains in the railway's early years. Like its sisters, it was rapidly superseded by the more sophisticated Planet-class engines from late 1830 onwards, and was withdrawn during the 1830s. The locomotive has not been preserved.
Identification features
0-2-2 layout with a single pair of driving wheels at the front, twin inclined cylinders at the rear of the boiler, and a tall front-mounted chimney; broadly similar to Rocket but with various Stephenson refinements.
Notable locomotives
- North Star (1830, not preserved)