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.

Provides a history of the Stourbridge Lion, the first commercial locomotive in America, which made its historic run in 1829, marking the birth of the American railroad.

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.

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.

In 1835, there were 175 steam locomotives in service in the United States. By 1900, that number had increased to 37,663. In this newly revised and expanded edition of his classic work, renowned railroad historian John H. White, Jr., chronicles the explosive growth and development of the steam locomotive in America -- from the first British imports to the New York elevated locomotives of the 1880s -- and adds more than fifty new pages of superb illustrations and text. Beginning with the early era of locomotive design, White describes the background and methods of the first American builders, the special requirements of American railroads, construction materials, locomotive types, performance, and costs. He then turns to the development of individual components: boilers and running gears, headlights and cowcatchers, sandboxes, bells, and whistles. Throughout, remarkably detailed scale drawings -- many reproduced from the original working drawings -- illustrate design features and modifications. For this new edition, White offers eleven new detailed and comprehensive case histories of individual locomotives, beginning with the 1843 La Junta. Each case history provides a wealth of historical background, mechanical information, and engineering analysis. White also includes a special section that updates and annotates the information found in the original edition. This beautifully complete and authoritative history stands as a landmark in its field. Now in a new edition, it will continue to delight railroad enthusiasts, model builders, historians of technology, and anyone with an interest in American railroads. From reviews of the first edition: "An outstanding engineering andpublishing masterpiece." -- Journal of American History "The definitive reference work on the technical development of the early locomotive." -- Business History Review "White does a splendid job... through the combined use of narrative and over 230 highly detailed, sharp and clear pictures and drawings." -- Civil War History