Trevithick, << TREHV uh thihk, >> Richard (1771-1833), was a British inventor and engineer. He contributed to the development of the steam locomotive.
Trevithick was born on April 13, 1771, in England in the county (now unitary authority) of Cornwall, a tin-mining region. As he grew up, he became interested in the steam engines that pumped water from the mines. By the early 1800’s, he had developed a new engine that was soon used in most of the local mines. This high-pressure engine was the model for most later steam engines.
In 1801, Trevithick designed and built a steam-powered carriage that ran on the road. In 1804, he built the first steam locomotive to run on rails. It pulled a load of iron along a railway for horse-drawn cars. In 1808, he exhibited a large locomotive in London. None of his locomotives were financially successful, because they were too heavy for the roads and railways of his time. But Trevithick did prove that steam-powered locomotives could be built. He died on April 22, 1833.
