Novelty was the sole challenger at Rainhill. The locomotive was designed by the 26-year-old Swede John Ericsson in collaboration with the six-year-older Englishman John Braithwaite. The design was based on the steam fire engines that were being manufactured at the workshop of both men in London at that time.

They had no prior experience in building steam locomotives and only learned about the competition seven weeks before it was to take place. In addition, the opportunity to test the locomotive before the competition was very limited. Novelty became a sleek creation that didn't look like any other steam locomotive.

But Novelty was fast. Already on one of the first days of the competition, it set a speed record of nearly 50 kilometres per hour and became the favorite of the audience. However, soon the locomotive suffered from various mechanical failures. Before the competition was over, the men behind Novelty were forced to admit defeat.

Novelty was scrapped, but some parts were preserved and incorporated into a replica that is located at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.