Steam locomotives were first developed in the United Kingdom during the early 19th century and used for railway transport until the middle of the 20th century.

Richard Trevithick built the first steam locomotive known to have hauled a load over a distance at Pen-y-darren in 1804, although he produced an earlier locomotive for trial at Coalbrookdale in 1802.

Salamanca, built in 1812 by Matthew Murray for the Middleton Railway, was the first commercially successful steam locomotive.

Locomotion No. 1, built by George Stephenson and his son Robert’s company Robert Stephenson and Company, was the first steam locomotive to haul passengers on a public railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, in 1825.