In 1804, the first self-propelling steam engine, (the steam locomotive) was tested at the Pen-y-Darren ironworks on its normally horse-drawn tramline. The machine was created by Richard Trevithick. He had previously built his first road steam locomotive in 1801, and another road machine in 1803, before turning his attention to railways. The railway engine that was to be tested at Pen-y-Darren was able to pull a mass of 15 tonnes at a speed of 5 miles per hour. However, adhesion proved to be a problem as the iron wheels slipped on the iron rails. Another fault was that the cast-iron rails of the tramways at that time were not strong enough to support the weight of this new machine and the experiment was soon abandoned. Click here for more events that happened 'today in science history'
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