POLI 100K, Railroads and American Politics: Topic 5, The Evolution of Railroad Technology

The Evolution of Steam Locomotives

The first steam locomotive to run on rails was built by Richard Trevithick in 1803. It could haul 20 tons at a speed of 5 miles per hour and it is known to have hauled a load of about 9 tons.

Richard Trevithick's Locomotive, 1803

The "Father of American Railroads" was Colonel John Stevens of Hoboken, New Jersey. As early as 1811 he proposed building a railroad in New Jersey and in 1815 and in 1819 made further proposals but he could not obtain the necessary financing. In 1825 he decided to prove, at his own expense, that railroads and locomotives were a practical possibility. Consequently he built a small circular railway on his Hoboken estate and had a locomotive built that ran on it. Finally, in 1830 Stevens and his sons Robert L. and Edwin A. were granted a charter for the Camden & Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company.

John Stevens' Locomotive, 1825

John Stevens' Circular Track and Locomotive, 1825

The Stourbridge Lion was ordered by Horatio Allen for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company (still in business as the Delaware & Hudson Railroad). It was built in Stourbridge, England and shipped to the U.S. in 1829 where it was run on the D & H tracks on 8 August 1829. The intent was to use it to haul coal from Carbondale to Honesdale, PA. However, it proved to be too heavy for the existing trestles and was never used for that purpose.

The Lion cost $3000. It weighed 7 tons and had vertical cylinders, all wheels being coupled. The wheels were of oak with iron tires and "grasshopper" beams were used to transmit the power to them from the cylinders.

The Stourbridge Lion: Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, 1829

Horatio Allen was appointed chief engineer of the Charleston & Hamburg Railroad in 1829 shortly after he piloted the Stourbridge Lion on the D & H. He recommended that only steam be used for traction on the C & H and the first locomotive purchased by the railroad under his supervision was the The Best Friend of Charleston. The locomotive was built in New York and shipped by sea to South Carolina. It was tested in November and December of 1830 and was the first locomotive in America to pull cars (14 December 1830).

The locomotive weighed 4.5 tons with cylinders sized 6 by 16 inches, a 54 inch diameter driving wheel, a steam pressure of 50 pounds, and a tractive effort of 400 pounds.

The Best Friend of Charleston: Charleston & Hamburg Railroad, 1830

In October 1830 Robert Stevens, President and Chief Engineer of the Camden & Amboy Railroad went to England to purchase rails and a locomotive for the company. On the passage he invented the "T" rail (see next topic) and the hook-headed spike for fastening it -- both are still in use today.

Stevens commissioned the construction of The John Bull by George and Robert Stephenson and it was shipped to Philadelphia from England in 1831. Stevens hired Isaac Dripps a young mechanic, to take charge and assemble the engine. Dripps had never seen a locomotive and had no drawings or measurements to guide him. Nevertheless, he was able to assemble the engine. Since no tender had been supplied, Dripps made a four-wheeled car and fastened a whiskey cask to the platform (this was the first tender). A leather pipe connected the cask to the engine. On 12 November 1831 the members of the New Jersey legislature were the first passengers to be hauled by the John Bull. The engine did not go into regular service until 1833 when there was enough trackage for the C & A to begin operations. When the John Bull went into service Dripps modified the locomotive so that it had a play in the leading axle which enabled it to handle curves better. Later he invented the two-wheeled "cow catcher" on the front of the locomotive which not only helped the locomotive navigate curves but also helped with stray cows on the tracks.

The John Bull: Camden & Amboy Railroad, 1831

The John Bull: Camden & Amboy Railroad, 1833

The Essex was built for the Morris & Essex Railroad in 1838 by Seth Boyden of Newark, New Jersey. The locomotive had a tender, 4 pilot wheels, and driving wheels at the rear of the engine. The locomotive weighed 6 tons with 8.5 by 26 inch cylinders and 53.5 inch driving wheels. With the addition of a cab for the engineer and fireman and a cowcatcher on the front, this is a standard steam locomotive.

The Essex: Morris & Essex Railroad, 1838

Matthias Baldwin invented the flexible-beam truck or six-wheels-connected engine in 1842. His aim was to use all the locomotive's weight for traction. With this arrangement, the two front pairs of wheels could move laterally, their axles working in cylindrical, vertical pedestals. The pedestals were held by beams which could move independently of each other and of the engine's main frame. The rear pair of drivers was mounted in the conventional way and coupling rods connected all the wheels. This design permitted operation on curves without binding any of the wheels.

Baldwin's Six-Wheels-Connected Engine, 1842

The first "ten wheeler" or 4-6-0 locomotive was The Chesapeake. Designed by Septimus Norris it was built in 1847 for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. It weighed 22 tons with 14.5 by 22 inch cylinders and driving wheels 46 inches in diameter.

The Chesapeake: Philadelphia & Reading, 1847

The Irvington was the first coal burner on the Hudson River Railroad. It was constructed by the Lawrence Machine Shop of Lawrence, MA, in 1852. All the elements of the standard steam locomotive are present in the design.

The Irvington: Hudson River Railroad, 1852