was ever before tried; for although railroads, to the number of about sixty exist throughout the kingdom, the majority of which are of earlier date than the Liverpool line, yet they were worked chiefly by horses; and though, in a few cases, locomotive engines were used, their application was never thought of in the manner and to the extent or advantage to which the ambition and enterprise of the Liverpool projectors have aspired. Knowledge was therefore to be gained; and gained it could not be, but at the price of that succession of comparative course of human experience.
It is well known, that in order to stimulate the enterprise of the country, and to ascertain the form of engine best adapted for their purposes, the directors of the company, early in the year 1829, proposed a prize of 5001, for the best locomotive engine, which should be produced under certain stipulated conditions. This proposal led to a public trial, at which engines of three distinct forms were produced; one by Mr. Robert Stephenson, son of the engineer of the railway; another by Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericson; and a third by Mr. Timothy Hackworth. Two others were present, but did not undergo any part of the trial. Mr. Stephenson's engine fulfilled all the conditions proposed by the directors, and underwent the whole of the trial: the other two also fulfilled the conditions, but failed, from divers causes, before undergoing that experimental test which was required by the judges. The prize was accordingly with justice awarded to Mr. Stephenson. Jun.
There can be no doubt that this method of exciting competition produced a favourable effect at the time; and most probably the enterprise would not have commenced with the same degree of success without some
