Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall who is best known as an early pioneer of steam-powered road and rail transport. He went on to develop the first high-pressure steam engine and the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive. He also successfully demonstrated the world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales on February 21, 1804. Despite having a stiff competition and suffering financial crisis throughout his career, he did a number of research with his high-pressure steam engines, including boring brass for cannon manufacture, stone crushing, rolling mills, forge hammers, blast furnace blowers and traditional mining applications. He also worked on improvements to ships such as iron tanks, iron floating docks, iron ships, telescopic iron masts, and more. During his visit to South America, he worked as a mining consultant in Peru and later explored parts of Costa Rica.