Stephenson's Rocket won the Rainhill Trials in 1829. The competition, held from 6 to 14 October at Rainhill in Lancashire, tested whether steam locomotives could reliably power the nearly completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
Rocket was designed for the contest by Robert Stephenson, with advice and collaboration from his father George Stephenson, and built by Robert Stephenson and Company in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was the only entrant to complete the full trial requirements. The locomotive averaged about 12 miles per hour and reached roughly 30 miles per hour while hauling a train weighing about 13 tons.
The trials were more than a race: they were an engineering test involving speed, reliability, fuel consumption and locomotive weight. Rocket's success persuaded the railway's directors to use locomotives rather than stationary engines and cable haulage. The result helped establish the Stephensons' company as a leading locomotive builder and supported the railway's opening in 1830.
A common mix-up is to treat 1829 as the year Rocket entered passenger service. Its victory came in 1829; regular Liverpool–Manchester railway operations began the following year.