Development Of The Locomotive

Ken Gibbs tells the history of the engineering triumph that is a steam locomotive from the 1800s to the 1960s showing how each development changed the course of history.

For nearly half of the nation's history, the steam locomotive was the outstanding symbol for progress and power. It was the literal engine of the Industrial Revolution, and it played an instrumental role in putting the United States on the world stage. While the steam locomotive's basic principle of operation is simple, designers and engineers honed these concepts into 100-mph passenger trains and 600-ton behemoths capable of hauling mile-long freight at incredible speeds. American Steam Locomotives is a thorough and engaging history of the invention that captured public imagination like no other, and the people who brought it to life.

This fascinating book explores the development of locomotives over the course of fifty years. From Richard Trevithick's first experimental road engine of 1801 up to the Great Exhibition some fifty years later, locomotives have come far in reimagining and reinventing themselves to serve the people and British industry.The early years showed slow development amongst locomotives: Trevithick's first railway locomotives failed significantly as the engine broke the brittle cast-iron rails. The story is continued through the years when locomotives were developed to serve collieries, a period that lasted for a quarter of a century, and saw many different engineers trying out their ideas; from the rack and pinion railway developed by Blenkinsop and Murray, to George Stephensons engines for the Stockton & Darlington Railway. The most significant change came with Robert Stephensons innovative Rocket, the locomotive that set the formula for future developments.British engineers dominated the early years, although in France Marc Seguin developed a multi-tubular boiler at the same time as Stephenson. The next period was marked by the steady spread of railways in Europe and across the Atlantic. Timothy Hackworth of the Stockton & Darlington railway supplied locomotives to Russia, and his men had an exciting ride to deliver parts by sleigh across the snowy steppes, pursued by wolves. In America, the first locomotives were delivered from England, but the Americans soon developed their own methods and styles, culminating in the Baldwin engines, a type that has become familiar to us from hundreds of Western films.This is more than just a book about the development of a vital technology, it is also the story of the men who made it possible, from the steadily reliable team of William Buddicom and Alexander Allan, who developed their locomotives at Crewe, to the flamboyant Isambard Kingdom Brunel, whose broad gauge was served by the magnificent engines of Daniel Gooch.

Important and beautifully illustrated volume chronicles the explosive growth of the American locomotive from British imports to grand ten-wheelers of the 1870s. Over 240 vintage photographs, drawings, and diagrams tell the exciting tale. Introduction. Appendices. Index.

First published in 1907, this work remains the best single source on the development of steam locomotives for those interested in their inner workings and technical specifications. Most of the more recent offerings on the subject are primarily nostalgic picture books celebrating the outward design of the great engines of the past. Sinclair spent half a lifetime operating locomotives before beginning a new career as a railway journalist which brought him in contact with the prime movers of the golden age of railroading. The author's lively story-telling style remains fresh, and the scholarly value of the book has been much enhanced by the inclusion of some 650 notes provided by his editor, who is a Curator of the U.S. National Museum, Smithsonian Institution. These notes provide further information and correct errors brought to light by more recent research. The editor has also provided an afterword, summarizing the final developments and the last years of the steam locomotive in the twentieth century.This new edition retains all the numerous illustrations of the original-- some 200 historic locomotives are pictured, plus numerous portraits of their designers and owners, and line drawings of mechanical configurations."Contents: " Introduction to the Annotated Edition. Preface. Origin and Growth of the Steam Engine. Early Attempts at Locomotive Construction. Development of Locomotive in Great Britain. Genesis of American Railways. Connecting the Ocean with Western Rivers. First Links of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad. How the United States Worked into Locomotive Building. Triumphs of Baldwin. Sellers and Other Philadelphia Pioneers. First Links of the New York Central Railroad. First Railroad Construction in New England. Locomotive Building in New England. Work of New England Pioneer Master Mechanics. Troublous Times in Railway and Locomotive Construction. Locomotive Building in New Jersey. The Erie Railroad. Reading's Mark on the Locomotive. The Lackawanna Railroad. The Lehigh Valley Railroad and Its Motive Power. Demand for Multi-Coupled Engines. Railroads Westward Ho! Locomotive Boilers. Smoke-Preventing Appliances. Spark Arresters and Draft Appliances. Development of Valves and Valve Motions. Freaks and Curiosities of Locomotive Designs. Growth of the Train Brake. Special Forms of Locomotives. Locomotive Accessories. Locomotive Works Still in Business. Railway Development in Canada. The Locomotive of To-Day. Afterword: The Final Years of the Steam Locomotive in America, by John H. White, Jr. Selected Readings.

For nearly half of the nation's history, the steam locomotive was the outstanding symbol for progress and power. It was the literal engine of the Industrial Revolution, and it played an instrumental role in putting the United States on the world stage. While the steam locomotive's basic principle of operation is simple, designers and engineers honed these concepts into 100-mph passenger trains and 600-ton behemoths capable of hauling mile-long freight at incredible speeds. American Steam Locomotives is a thorough and engaging history of the invention that captured public imagination like no other, and the people who brought it to life.

Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology. J. Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early 1700s through the early 1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to the United States from England. Lamb then shifts the scene to the development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small builders, and later, by the early 20th century, by only three major enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for its subsequent decline.