This is the story of George Stephenson, the man who revolutionized transportation with his invention of the steam engine. Born in 1781 in Wylam, England, Stephenson was a self-taught engineer and inventor. He began his career as a colliery
From Wikipedia
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. His chosen rail gauge, sometimes called "Stephenson gauge", was the basis for the 4-foot-8+1⁄2-inch (1.435 m) standard gauge used by most of the world's railways.