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' THE FATHER OF RAILWAYS '
This Virtual highlights the late great George Stephenson , the pioneer of steam locomotive technology .
George Stephenson (09/06/1781 - 12/08/1848) was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer , and was renown for being "The father of railways" .
Born and raised in Wylam in the Noth East near Newcastle , he spent his latter years in Chesterfield , having married a Bakewell girl ( his 3rd wife ) , where he would eventually pass away at the the age of 67 years . His body lays in a vault behind the alter at the nearby Holy Trinity church on Newbold road , just on the edge of the town centre .
Despite the "Rocket" fame , Stephenson was not the first person to build a locomotive , nor was his son Richard , as they were beaten to that honour by Richard Trevithick with an unnamed loco .
Stephenson's son Robert was the one who designed and built the Rocket , although his father did guide him in doing so .
Stephensons first locomotive was one built and used at Killingworth colliery in 1814 , and was unnamed until later years , when it become a well known loco.
Stephensons other inventions include :- a straight glass tube for growing "straight" cucumbers , a safety lamp , and the geordie lamp - it is believed it was this lamp that gave the North East its geordie tag .
There are 2 stages to this virtual , which are a statue outside Chesterfield railway station , and the Holy Trinity church , where Stephensons body is laid to rest (if you choose your time of visiting , you may well get into the church to view his grave if you are intersted in this sort of thing , you may have to google opening times , or contact the church) .
The distance between the 2 stages is approximately a 15 minute walk on causeways with roads to cross , or a 4 minute drive , parking is available at both stages , or nearby in the town centre .
The Virtual :-
To claim this virtual , you need to answer the following questions , and message me by the message centre , or by email via the link at the top of the cache page.
Please DO NOT post your answers within your log , if you do so , log deletion will follow without warning.
1) at stage 1 you will find a life size bronze statue of George Stephenson , holding 'Locomotion No1' in his left hand , please tell me , how many buttons there are in the middle of the back of his coat , and what is the tool item called on which he is leaning on ?
2) what was Stephensons 1st locomotive he built ,called ( NOT Rocket ) ?
3) where in Chesterfield did Stephenson spend his last years before his passing ?
4) at stage 2 , there is a stone statue at the top end of the church grounds ( NOT of Stephenson ) , please tell me what is the shape of the 3 items atop of the statue ?
5) please take a photo at the Stephenson statue at the station , of something with your name and date on to prove your visit to it , it is optional to include your face if your too shy .
There is much more info on George Stephenson , which can be found on the internet .
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.