The Victorians risked more than just delays when boarding a steam train ...Victo
rian inventors certainly didn't lack steam, but while they squabbled over who de
served the title of 'The Father of the Locomotive' and enjoyed their fame and fo
rtune, safety on the rails was not their priority. Brakes were seen as a needles
s luxury and boilers had an inconvenient tendency to overheat and explode, and i
n turn, blow up anyone in reach. Often recognised as having revolutionised trave
l and industrial Britain, Victorian railways were perilous.
