The birth of modern-day railways in Stockton heralded an era of economic prosperity and focused the attention of the world on the town. Nothing did more to ensure Stockton's place in the history books than
George Stephenson's 'Locomotion' No 1 and the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
The early 19th century saw a massive increase in the demand for coal and it became clear that a quicker and cheaper means of transport needed to be devised. Coal poured out of Durham and, although the port of Stockton was close, road links were inadequate and the winding River Tees made the passage to the sea a difficult and costly one.
The idea of a railway or canal link was first mooted by Leonard Raisbeck, the Recorder of Stockton, at a dinner at Stockton Town Hall in 1810. He moved a resolution that a committee should look into ways of linking Stockton, Darlington and the collieries of west Durham. The most popular idea - a canal - was defeated in 1818, both by its estimated cost of £205,000 and the fact that the proposed route by-passed both Stockton and Darlington.
