Searching for Trevithick’s London Railway of 1808 was delivered at UCL on 12 June 2008 [JZ Young Lecture Theatre] by John Liffen, Curator of Communications of The Science Museum. This public lecture launched the UCL Trevithick Bicentennial Celebration and the 4th International Railway Conference, which was hosted by UCL 13-15 June 2008.

The Bicentennial Trevithick Celebration, organised by Prof. Nick Tyler, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (CEGE) and Dr Anna Clark, Director of Business Partnerships, commemorated Richard Trevithick’s first passenger rail demonstration of 1808, which took place close to the site where UCL now stands.

The Trevithick Celebration consisted of:

• The Early Railways Conference (The Science Museum, London; The National Railway Museum, York; The Newcomen Society; The Railway & Canal Historical Society; The Institute of Railway Studies & Transport History, York; The Locomotion Trust - with additional support for this event from The Trevithick Society);

• Loan Exhibition in the UCL Cloisters: (The Science Museum, London and National Railway Museum, York and other lending institutions - The Courtney Library,The Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro; The Steam Museum, Straffan, Republic of Ireland; Guildhall Library).

• Trevithick Rail Industry Dinner sponsored by O2 and attended by Chairmen and Chief Executives of the Rail Industry.

• UCL-Eurostar Trevithick Innovation Competition

• Commemoration of historic Choshu Five links with Japan (1863) and early Japanese railways.