30 JUNE 1990, Page 26

Steam up

THE new George Stephenson fiver, show- ing the father of railways at the Stockton & Darlington (1825), is going down badly at the Middleton Railway, established by Act of Parliament in 1758 and still going strong just outside Leeds. The Middleton went over to steam traction in 1812 (Matthew Murray's locomotive, to John Blenkinsop's patent design) and maintains that Stephen- son was an interloping stepfather. Passen- gers paying their fares in Stephenson fivers may still find that the Middleton accepts them — at a suitable discount.