1760's

Abraham Darby laid an iron plateway

1769

Nicholas Cugnot invented the first steam propelled vehicle

1786

William Murdock invented a model road engine similar to Cugnot's

1789

William Jessop introduced flanged waggon wheels

1801

Trevithick's first passenger steam vehicle went into operation

1805

Wandsworth-Croydon public railway opened

1806

Oystermouth railway - first passenger railway in Wales was built

1808

Trevithick's 'Catch -me-who-can' locomotive was built

1812

Blenkinsop's railway locomotive hauled coal from Middleton to Leeds

1813

Hedley's 'Puffing Billy' was built for use on non-toothed track

1820

Wrought iron rails used to make railways

1825

Stockton to Darlington railway line opened

1827

First railway tunnel built under Liverpool

1829

Stephenson's 'Rocket' wins Rainhill trials (Britain)
Marc Sequin built first French steam locomotive

1930's

Liverpool to Manchester line opened (Britain)

1832

First steam locomotive powered railway opened in France

1835

Joseph Locke designed bulkhead rail

1837

Telegraph used to connect signal boxes

1840

First railway excursion

1846

Standard gauge introduced in Britain

1851

First refrigerated coaches

1859

Pullman cars

1863

First underground railway

1865

USA adopted standard gauge

1869

First rack railway (Mount Washington, USA)

1879

Von Seimen's electric train operated in Berlin

1881

First electric passenger train used in Germany

1889

Block signalling and continuous braking in Britain

1890

First electric underground train

1912

First diesel electric trains (Sweden)