in 1833. They were initially four-coupled, but were extremely unstable and a pair of trailing wheels were added. This 0-4-2 formation was also used for Hercules, the next engine to enter service. These were the first six-wheeled goods engines with inside cylinders and, after the flanges were taken off the centre pairs of wheels, were so satisfactory, that Stephenson decided never to build another four-wheeled engine. 0-6-0 design By 1834, traffic had increased to such an extent that more powerful engines were needed and the next to be delivered was Atlas, the first ever six-coupled inside cylinder design. These engines were more stable than their outside cylindered counterparts. So far all the engines had been provided by Stephenson, but the directors decided to try one of Edward Bury's locomotives. An 0-4-0, Liverpool, was delivered in 1834 but it proved unequal to the loads hauled by Atlas. The next engine bought for the line was Vulcan, an 0-6-0 by Tayleur and Company. The last two were constructed by the Haigh Foundry, Ajax, 0-4-2 and Hector, 0-6-0. Whistle The historian Clement Stretton relates that towards the close of the year 1833 a collision took place between a train at a cart crossing the line near Thornton. The engine was “Samson”. The engine driver had a horn but could not attract the attention of the cart driver, and the engine struck it. Mr Baxter the line manager suggested the use of a steam trumpet or whistle and by Mr George Stephenson's instructions such an appliance was at once constructed by a local musical instrument maker and it worked satisfactorily. If this is factual, it would appear to be the creation of the first steam whistle. However many factories used steam power supplied by stationary steam engines to drive mill machinery, and it seems remarkable that steam whistles had not been in use to indicate for example the start and end of the working day. Clinker is dismissive of this story for several reasons; in particular the board minutes recorded considerable detail of trivial events, yet this is not reported. The Midland Railway Competition The L&SR had not faced competition for some time, but in 1835 the Midland Counties Railway was proposed, for a line from collieries in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to Leicester and Rugby. The Midland Counties Railway was authorised on 21 June 1836. The line opened on 4 May 1840. The Leicester