The Liverpool Railway Centenary

Transports of delight as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway celebrates its centenary

The historical forebears of the steam age are re-enacted in this celebration marking the centenary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The pageant of transport wonders ranges from ancient Egyptians using manual power to shift heavy objects, to an early railway engine pulling an open carriage on which a brass band plays in honour of the great occasion.

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened on 15 October 1830 to much publicity, albeit for rather tragic reasons. William Huskisson MP lost his life after falling in front of an oncoming locomotive, George Stephenson's famous Rocket. The injured Huskisson was taken to hospital at Eccles but died just hours later.