2025200 Years since the Construction of the First Railway - First Day Cover

One of the most revolutionary inventions in human history to date was the steam engine. The first commercial steam-powered device – a water pump – was built in 1698 by the English inventor Thomas Savery. The successful experiments of the Englishman Thomas Newcomen, the German Jacob Leopold and (especially) the Scotsman James Watt during the 18th century led to the construction of the locomotive – a powerful steam engine that pulled carriages with passengers and freight on iron rails.