A SLICE of the borough's history has returned to the North West as Stephenson's Rocket, arguably the most famous of the early locomotives, is now on show in Manchester.

Stephenson's Rocket is now at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry until April.

The locomotive established a steam train as the correct choice for the future of the Liverpool to Manchester line 180 years ago at the Rainhill Trials in 1829, which was a competition to decide on the best mode of transport for the railway.

The Rocket was the only locomotive to successfully complete the trials, averaging 12 mph and achieving a top speed of 30 mph.

Designed by Robert Stephenson, Rocket’s win proved once and for all that locomotives were better at pulling trains along the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, rather than stationary winding engines.

The technology applied to the design of Rocket was soon extended across the entire railway network, paving the way for the modern rail network and shaping the course of the history.

For more information go to scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/stephensons-rocket.