Portrait in oils of Richard Trevithick (1771- 1833), British engineer. Trevithick's father was a mining engineer, and believed in the use of steam engines. This sparked Trevithick's interest, and he had soon designed high-pressure steam engines of unprecedented efficiency. In 1796 he began to design steam locomotives, producing his first in 1801. He was able to show that smooth rails and wheels would provide sufficient traction for locomotives, but otherwise his work was plagued by bad luck. He was often found working on many ideas at once, not allowing time to concentrate sufficiently on each problem. He died penniless, a victim of his own fanatical dedication to work.