George Stephenson plans for world's first railway found
Network RailPlans by railway pioneer George Stephenson for the world's first passenger line to use locomotives have been found by an archive assistant.
The 1822 notebook of the Stockton and Darlington Railway was found by John Page at Network Rail's archive in York.
The 26-mile (41km) railway was the world's first public steam railway when it opened in 1825.
The notebook with its detailed notes on the suggested route is now on display at the city's National Railway Museum.
Mr Page, a records assistant at the archive uncovered the notebook, that had not been seen for decades, when he searched for documents in a deeds room earlier in the year.
He found the book among about 20,000 documents on the shelves.
Mr Page said: "Since the 1950s, it has sat on a shelf unnoticed amongst hundreds of other packets.
"I was looking for a deed and purely out of curiosity decided to look through the packets and there it was and what a thrill it was to find."
Network Rail
Rischgitz/GettyThe notebook outlines Stephenson's redesign of and budget for the Stockton and Darlington line and became the blueprint for the railways that followed.
It shows Stephenson's survey of fellow engineer George Overton's original 1821 line and the amendments he recommended.
Sir Peter Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said: "George Stephenson's original survey of the Stockton and Darlington Railway ushered in the railway age, not only in Britain, but around the world.
The book is on display at the museum until December.