The Rainhill Trials were a competition event staged in October 1829. The nearly-completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway required the most advanced design of steam engine to power the line, but the plan was to use stationary engines hauling carriages by cable. George Stephenson argued that moving locomotives would provide the best motive power, and his son, Robert Stephenson's ‘Rocket’ was declared the winner, as it was the only entry to complete the challenge.