Stephenson's 'Rocket', historical artwork. Stephenson's Locomotive Railway Carriage, patented in 1829, competed in trials held by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company at Rainhill. It completed 20 laps of the course and attained a top speed of 38 kilometres per hour, enough to win the competition. New features in its design included a multi-tube boiler with 25 copper tubes and a blast pipe to increase the efficiency of the boiler. The Rocket was designed by George Stephenson and his son Robert, with the assistance of Henry Booth. Published in History and progress of the steam engine, England, 1830.