We know that before, during and after the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, engineers and railway promoters came to visit to see how a modern railway was run.

By modern railway we mean a railway that was a publicly available, permanent transport infrastructure that carried anything, including passengers) for a fee.

There was a period of time from 1825-1830 that the S&DR was really the only place that could be done. So this month we consider to what extent the Stockton & Darlington Railway influenced the development of railroads in America.

Joining us to help us navigate American railroads is Jonathan Ratcliffe, the secretary for the Friends of the S&DR.

In Stars of the S&DR we will visit Edward and Rachel Pease on Northgate in Darlington. Without them there would have been no S&DR.

And as usual, we outline news and events towards the end of the podcast.