BEGINNINGS - Roads of rails were being used in Europe as early as 1550. At first, these primitive tramways (Wagonways) consisted of wooden rails over which horse-drawn wagons or carts might be moved with grater ease than over rutted dirt roads. To prevent wear and to provide a smoother running surface, strips of iron were later fastened securely on the tops of the wooden rails.
The first all iron rails were cast in 1767 by the Colebrookdale Iron Works in England. These rails were about three feet long and were flanged to keep the wagon wheels on the track. Many years later, the flange was transfered to the wheels.
Meanwhile, the inventive genius of man was busy with the problem of harnessing steam power. Thomas Newcomen invented a crude steam engine in 1712. James Watt produced a geatly improved steam engine in 1769 and a better one in 1774.
William Murdock's steam vehicle of was another milestone. But it was not until 1804 that the Englishman Richard Trevithick built the first crude steam railway locomotive.
In 1814, George Stevenson of England built a steam locomotive, the Blucher, which actually drew a train of eight loaded cars at the weight of 30 tons at a speed of 4 miles per hour! By 1825 Stevenson had improved his locomotive,and in 1829 built the Rocket, the first really successful steam locomotive. Ever since, he has been honored as the father of steam locomotive. Stevenson's "Rocket"
Meanwhile, in 1815 , John Stevens of Hoboken, N.J., had obtained from the state of New Jersey the first railroad charter ever issued in America.
By this time there were several short, horsepowered rairoads in the United States, including one on Beacon Hill, Boston, built by Silas Whitney and opened in 1807, and owned by Thomas Leiper in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, built in 1809.
FIRST APPLICATION OF STEAM POWER TO TRACK - The first known application of steam locomotion to track in America occured in 1825, then a small locomotive with an upright boiler was run on a circular track at Hoboken, N.J. Bothe locomotive & track were built by John Stevens, who had been an officer in the American Revolutionary War.
In 1828 the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company of Pennsylvania decided to build a railroad and sent Horatio Allen, a young engineer to England to buy locomotives. He brought back three. The first and only one of these that was used the Stourbridge Lion which made its trial run in 1829 with Allen as engineer. Allen opened the throttle, and in a cloud of dust and hissing steam, moved down the track at the amazing speed of ten miles an hour! But the 6 ton Lion proved too heavy for the flimsy track, and, after running a few miles under Allen's direction, it was removed from the rails and used as a stationary power engine. Many years later, what was left of the Lion was placed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is today. It was the first full-size locomotive ever to run on a regular railroad in America.
RACE OF THE TOM THUMB AND THE HORSE - In 1830 an exciting race took place near Baltimore. Peter Cooper, a new ironmaster, had built a liile locomotive which he called the"Tom Thumb". It was so small, that its boiler tubes were made of gun barrels.
The operator of a stage coach line challenged Cooper to race his locomotive against one of the stage lines horses. Cooper accepted the challenge. Many Balitmoreans turned out to witness the race. At first the real horse and the iron horse ran neck and neck But Cooper built a hotter fire and applied more steam.Gradually the engine began to gain. It crept ahead of the horse yard by yard, and soon it was out in front.
As victory seemed to be within Cooper's grasp, a belt slipped and the engine came to a dead stop. While Cooper was desperatly trying to replace the belt and get back into the race, the stagecoach horse ran past the engine. Finally Cooper got the engine running, but it was too late. The horse reached the goal line well ahead of the Pics of the "Tom Thumb" Go to Hritage Railroads.
Before many years had passed, however, other "iron horses" were winning victories over stagecoaches.
A few months after the famous race of the Tom Thumb and the horse, a new locomotive arrived by ship in Charleston, S.C.. This was the Best Friend, made at West Point Foundry in New York. It began regulary scheduled service on the South Carolina Railroad in 1830. Its boiler exploded early in 1831. But the Best Friend still was the first locomotive to pull a train of cars in regular service in the United States. The West Point, built in the same foundry, replaced the "Best Friend" in 1831.
After 1830, locomotives and railroads multiplied rapidly. Historic milestons of progress were the first runs of (1) The DeWitt Clinton on the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad in New York in 1831, (2) the John Bull on the Cambden & Amboy Railroad in NEW JERSEY in 1831, (3) Old Ironsidesout of Philadelphia in 1832, (4) thePonchartrain out of New Orleans in 1832. NOTE: Pictures of the DeWitt Clinton & The John Bull, are in our Heritage Railroads.
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