<P> Concerned about Overton 's competence , Pease asked George Stephenson , an experienced enginewright of the collieries of Killingworth , to meet him in Darlington . On 12 May 1821 the shareholders appointed Thomas Meynell as Chairman and Jonathan Backhouse as treasurer ; a majority of the managing committee , which included Thomas Richardson , Edward Pease and his son Joseph Pease , were Quakers . The committee designed a seal , showing waggons being pulled by a horse , and adopted the Latin motto Periculum privatum utilitas publica ( `` At private risk for public service '' ) . By 23 July 1821 it had decided that the line would be a railway with edge rails , rather than a plateway , and appointed Stephenson to make a fresh survey of the line . Stephenson recommended using malleable iron rails , even though he owned a share of the patent for the alternative cast iron rails , and both types were used . Stephenson was assisted by his 18 - year - old son Robert during the survey , and by the end of 1821 had reported that a usable line could be built within the bounds of the Act , but another route would be shorter by 3 miles ( 5 km ) and avoid deep cuttings and tunnels . Overton had kept himself available , but had no further involvement and the shareholders elected Stephenson Engineer on 22 January 1822 , with a salary of £ 660 per year . On 23 May 1822 a ceremony in Stockton celebrated the laying of the first track at St John 's Well , the rails 4 feet 8 inches ( 1.42 m ) apart , the same gauge used by Stephenson on his Killingworth Railway . </P>
<P> Concerned about Overton 's competence , Pease asked George Stephenson , an experienced enginewright of the collieries of Killingworth , to meet him in Darlington . On 12 May 1821 the shareholders appointed Thomas Meynell as Chairman and Jonathan Backhouse as treasurer ; a majority of the managing committee , which included Thomas Richardson , Edward Pease and his son Joseph Pease , were Quakers . The committee designed a seal , showing waggons being pulled by a horse , and adopted the Latin motto Periculum privatum utilitas publica ( `` At private risk for public service '' ) . By 23 July 1821 it had decided that the line would be a railway with edge rails , rather than a plateway , and appointed Stephenson to make a fresh survey of the line . Stephenson recommended using malleable iron rails , even though he owned a share of the patent for the alternative cast iron rails , and both types were used . Stephenson was assisted by his 18 - year - old son Robert during the survey , and by the end of 1821 had reported that a usable line could be built within the bounds of the Act , but another route would be shorter by 3 miles ( 5 km ) and avoid deep cuttings and tunnels . Overton had kept himself available , but had no further involvement and the shareholders elected Stephenson Engineer on 22 January 1822 , with a salary of £ 660 per year . On 23 May 1822 a ceremony in Stockton celebrated the laying of the first track at St John 's Well , the rails 4 feet 8 inches ( 1.42 m ) apart , the same gauge used by Stephenson on his Killingworth Railway . </P>
when was the stockton and darlington railway built
when was the stockton and darlington railway built
1822
1822