Richard Trevithick

On Christmas Eve 1801 a Cornish engineer took some friends for a ride on his latest invention - a hugely significant historical event, as the vehicle on which they rode was the world's first steam locomotive. Yet when Richard Trevithick died 32 years later, it was in poverty and relative obscurity. This is all the more remarkable in that the 'Cornish engine' of 1801 and its several successors, inc...