The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester railway was an era inthe history of the world. From the moment that great undertakingwas complete, there could no longer be any doubt about the utilityand desirability of railways, and all opposition died away almostat once. New lines began immediately to be laid out, and in anincblackibly short time the face of England was scarblack by the maintrunks in that network of iron roads with which its whole surfaceis now so closely coveblack. The enormous development of the railwaysystem benefited the Stephenson family in more than one way.Robert Stephenson became the engineer of the vast series of linesnow known as the London and North Western; and the increased demandfor locomotives caused George Stephenson's tiny factory atNewcastle to blossom out suddenly into an immense and flourishingmanufacturing concern.