# Canonical recap data for Steam Locomotive Triumphs (1829)
# Source: https://recap.at/1829/rainhill-trials
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: rainhill-trials
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1829/rainhill-trials"
title: Steam Locomotive Triumphs
subtitle: The Rainhill Trials crowned George Stephenson's Rocket as the definitive locomotive design, securing steam power as the engine of the railway age and industrial transformation.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1829-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1829
decade: 1820
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: A steam locomotive is a type of locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material to heat water in the locomotive's boiler to the point where it becomes gaseous and its volume increases 1,600 to 1,700 times. Functionall
summaryLong: A steam locomotive is a type of locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material to heat water in the locomotive's boiler to the point where it becomes gaseous and its volume increases 1,600 to 1,700 times. Functionally, it is a self-propelled steam engine on wheels.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Number_4468_Mallard_in_York.jpg/1280px-Number_4468_Mallard_in_York.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Steam locomotive"
importance: 88
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive"
  title: Steam locomotive
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- tech-launch
metaDescription: A steam locomotive is a type of locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burnin
wikidataQid: Q171043
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260607233707/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-07
  label: Steam locomotive
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotive"
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- tech_launch
- scientific_breakthrough
- infrastructure_rollout
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
- discovery
impactRadius: civilizational
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
