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# Steam Locomotive, *John Bull*

National Museum of American History

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                      -     DetailsRelatedObject Details- Camden and Amboy Railroad
- Stevens, Robert
- assembled by
- Dripps, Isaac
- Robert Stephenson and Company
- Description
- Knowing the best locomotives were made in England, Robert Stevens ordered one from Robert Stevenson & Company of New Castle for the Camden and Amboy Railroad which ran across central New Jersey. The "John Bull," named later for the mythical gentleman who symbolized England, was the result.
- The locomotive was built as a standard 0-4-0 Planet class. Never seeing a locomotive before, Isaac Dripps, a young steamboat mechanic, assembled the engine from the parts that arrived in New Jersey in September 1831. It was tested that same month. The locomotive proved vulnerable to derailment. Dripps installed an extra pair of wheels, carried in a frame out front. Stevens called them "guide wheels"; they helped to steer the locomotive in curves and over uneven rails. The innovation worked so well that the Camden and Amboy bought 15 American copies of "John Bull" with the added wheels. By the end of the 1830s, American manufacturers were building locomotives and exporting to Russia and other countries that had vast terrain much like America.
- The steam locomotive "John Bull" ran for 35 years, pulling trains of passengers and cargo between the two largest cities of the time, Philadelphia and New York. A short ferry ride connected Camden with Philadelphia and a longer ferry run connected South Amboy with New York. The locomotive propelled trains at 25 to 30 miles per hour.
- Credit Line
- Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
- 1831
- ID Number
- TR.180001
- accession number
- 15804
- catalog number
- 180001
- Object Name
- locomotive
- locomotive, full size
- Other Terms
- locomotive, steam; Rail
- Physical Description
- iron (overall material)
- wood (overall material)
- copper (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 11 1/2 ft x 7 1/2 ft x 36 1/4 ft; 3.5052 m x 2.286 m x 11.049 m
- Place Made
- United Kingdom: England, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne
- place assembled
- United States: New Jersey
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Transportation, Railroad
- Transportation
- Exhibition
- East End First Floor Lobby
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of American History
- Subject
- Railroads
- Locomotives
- Record ID
- nmah_841968
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-4fa3-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Related Content-                    Trains at Smithsonian Station                 
  Locomotive, John BullCC0Creative Commons - No Rights Reserved iconUsage Conditions Apply>download icon>          There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .        International media Interoperability FrameworkIIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.View manifestView in Mirador ViewerExpand to view image×                PreviousNext             Footer logo      
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