In
1822 William James began to make plans for
a railway between Canterbury and Whitstable. However, James went bankrupt
in 1824 and it was not until 1830 that the line opened. Most of the
six miles were laid out as cable-operated inclined planes. Robert
Stephenson supplied the locomotive, Invicta,
to operate over the one and a quarter miles of level track at Whitstable.
When it was opened on 3rd May, 1830, the Invicta
became the first steam locomotive in the world to haul regular passenger
trains.
The opening of the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway in 1830.
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