List of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks
Table:
Ref#

Year added

Name

Image

Built /
Established

Location

Region/state

Country

Notes

1

1973

Ferries & Cliffhouse Cable Railway Power House

1887

San Francisco

California

United States

One of the most complicated cable-car systems to run from a single station.

2

1973

Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine

1894

Boston

Massachusetts

United States

Unusual triple-expansion, three-crank "rocker" engine, driving high-capacity, high-speed pumps.

3

1974

A.B. Wood Screw Pump

1914

New Orleans

Louisiana

United States

The most advanced low-lift drainage pump in use in the early 20th century, later used worldwide.

4

1975

Portsmouth-Kittery Naval Shipbuilding Activity

1774

Kittery

Maine

United States

First US naval shipyard, achieving notable firsts in technology and producing many well-known US naval vessels.

5

1975

Boyden Hydraulic Turbines

1871

Cohoes

New York

United States

Two of the oldest surviving water turbines, probably the largest and nearly the most powerful ever built in the United States for mechanical drive. Located at Harmony Mills.

6

1975

Curtis 5000-kW Vertical Turbine

1903

Schenectady

New York

United States

The most powerful steam turbine-generator in the world at the time of its construction.

7

1975

Saugus Ironworks

1647

Saugus

Massachusetts

United States

Replica museum of the first successful commercial ironworks in North America.

8

1975

Pioneer Oil Refinery California Star Oil Works

1876

Newhall

California

United States

A replica of the first successful commercial oil refinery in the US West.

9

1975

Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Scoop Wheel & Engines

1852

Chesapeake City

Maryland

United States

19th-century steam pumps at the (former) summit of the ship canal.

10

1975

USS Texas' Reciprocating Steam Engines

1914

La Porte

Texas

United States

Last reciprocating marine engines installed in a naval ship.

11

1975

Paige Compositor

1877

Hartford

Connecticut

United States

First US typography machine to set, justify, and distribute foundry type from a common case using one operator.

12

1976

Reynolds-Corliss Pumping Engine

1917

Jacksonville

Florida

United States

Early 20th-century water pump driven by a Corliss steam engine.

13

1976

Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project

1909

Phoenix

Arizona

United States

Early 20th-century hydroelectric plant incorporating innovative technologies.

14

1976

Hanford B Reactor

1944

Richland

Washington

United States

First US plutonium production reactor placed in commercial operation.

15

1976

Magma Copper Mine Air Conditioning System

1937

Superior

Arizona

United States

First air-conditioned mine in North America.

16

1976

Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway

1891

Pikes Peak

Colorado

United States

Highest railway in the US and highest rack railway in the world.

17

1976

Edgar Station, Edison Electric Illuminating Co

1925

Weymouth

Massachusetts

United States

Power-generation station with one of the world's only high-pressure topping turbines, which set new records in the late 1920s.

18

1976

Mount Washington Cog Railway

1869

Mount Washington

New Hampshire

United States

World's first cog railway.

19

Folsom Power House #1

1895

Folsom

California

United States

One of the first successful uses of hydroelectric power in the world, including the first successful long-distance transmission of power.

20

1977

Crawler Transporters of Launch Complex 39

1965

Cape Canaveral

Florida

United States

Two of the largest ground vehicles ever built, including automatic load-leveling systems.

21

1977

Fairmount Water Works

1815

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

United States

First large-scale application of steam pumping, later water power, to public water supply.

22

1977

USS Olympia, Vertical Reciprocating Steam Engines

1892

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

United States

Two of the first vertical triple-expansion marine engines.

23

1977

Pit-Cast Jib Crane

1905

Birmingham

Alabama

United States

Last US pit-cast jib crane to operate in the casting of iron pipe.

24

1977

State Line Generating Unit 1

1929

Hammond

Indiana

United States

World's largest electric-power generator for nearly 25 years, achieving many design firsts.

25

1977

Pratt Institute Power Plant

1887

Brooklyn

New York

United States

The oldest steam-generating plant of its kind in the Northeast United States.

26

1977

Monongahela Incline

1870

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

United States

First US passenger incline.

27

1977

Duquesne Incline

1877

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

United States

Second US passenger incline.

28

1977

Great Falls Raceway and Power System

1792

Paterson

New Jersey

United States

First major US water power system and basis for integrating urban planning with industrial development.

29

1977

Vulcan Street Power Plant

1882

Appleton

Wisconsin

United States

First Edison hydroelectric central station. ASME was joined in this landmark's dedication by the IEEE and ASCE.

30

Wilkinson Mill

1810

Pawtucket

Rhode Island

United States

Early 19th-century textile mill and machine shop.

31

1978

Interborough Rapid Transit System (Original Line)

1904

New York

New York

United States

The first fully electrically signaled railroad in the United States and the first practical subway in New York City.

32

1978

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Old Main Line

1828

Maryland

Maryland

United States

First US railroad in public service.

33

1978

Ringwood Manor Iron Complex

1740

Ringwood

New Jersey

United States

Surviving 18th-century iron manufacturing center.

34

1978

Joshua Hendy Iron Works

1906

Sunnyvale

California

United States

Early 20th-century ironworks demonstrating the adaptability required for industrial survival.

35

1979

Hacienda La Esperanza Sugar Mill Steam Engine

1861

San Juan

Puerto Rico

United States

Typical beam steam engine of the mid-19th century, directly connected to sugar crushing rolls.

36

1979

RL-10 Rocket Engine

1958

West Palm Beach

Florida

United States

First rocket engine to use high-energy liquid hydrogen as fuel.

37

1979

A. O. Smith Automatic Frame Plant

1920

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

Prototype of the automated factory. (No longer exists).

38

1979

Morris Canal (Reaction) Turbine

1850

Stewartsville

New Jersey

United States

Early reaction, or Scotch, turbine, a type that later found widespread application.

39

1979

Experimental Breeder Reactor I

1951

Arco

Idaho

United States

World's first nuclear power plant to demonstrate the breeder concept.

40

1979

Drake Oil Well

1859

Titusville

Pennsylvania

United States

First practical oil recovery system using salt-well drilling techniques and modern pipe-driving methods, marks beginning of US petroleum industry.

41

1980

Springfield Armory

1794

Springfield

Massachusetts

United States

First US armory noted for machinery for mass production of small arms, including the Blanchard lathe.

42

1980

East Wells (Onieda) Street Power Plant

1918

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

Pilot plant for US development of pulverized-coal firing in power-plant boilers.

43

1980

Watkins Woolen Mill

1868

Lawson

Missouri

United States

The best preserved 19th-century woolen mill in North America.

44

1980

Fusion-welded Test Boiler Drum

1930

Chattanooga

Tennessee

United States

first fusion-welded boiler drum, tests on which led to widespread acceptance in industry.

45

1980

Georgetown Steam Plant

1906

Seattle

Washington

United States

Steam plant with early Curtis turbines, marking the beginning of the end of the reciprocating steam engine as the central station prime mover.

46

1980

Commonwealth Building Heat Pump

1948

Portland

Oregon

United States

First large commercial building in the United States to pioneer the use of heat pumps for heating and cooling.

47

1980

Shippingport Nuclear Power Station

1958

Shippingport

Pennsylvania

United States

First US commercial central electric-generating station to use nuclear energy.

48

1980

Edison 'Jumbo' Engine-driver Dynamo

1882

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

One of six dynamos from Edison's Pearl Street Station, the prototype for US central-station power generation.

49

1980

Marine-type Triple-expansion, Engine-driven Dynamo

1891

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

Sole surviving engine-generator set marking the beginning of large-scale electric power generation in the United States.

50

Cooperative Fuel Research Engine

1928

Waukesha

Wisconsin

United States

Pioneer variable-compression laboratory engine for testing fuels.

51

1980

Port Washington Power Plant

1935

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

The world's most thermally efficient steam plant for many years.

52

1980

Saturn V Rocket (Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center)

1967

Houston

Texas

United States

Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980.

53

1980

Saturn V Rocket (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)

1967

Cape Canaveral

Florida

United States

Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980.

54

1980

Saturn V Dynamic Test Vehicle (U.S. Space & Rocket Center)

1966[3][4]

Huntsville

Alabama

United States

Three sites (Texas, Florida and Alabama) were simultaneously designated (via satellite) in July 1980.

55

1980

Blood Heat Exchanger

1957

Amherst

New York

United States

The first commercial human-blood heat exchanger for controlling hyperthermic temperatures during open-heart surgery.

56

1980

Rocky River Pumped-storage Hydroelectric Plant

1929

New Milford

Connecticut

United States

Early example of the pumped-storage principle, at a power plant.

57

1980

Kaplan Turbine at York Haven Dam

1929

York County

Pennsylvania

United States

One of the first three Kaplan-type hydraulic turbines in the United States.

58

1980

Pioneer Zephyr

1934

Chicago

Illinois

United States

First US diesel-powered, stainless-steel streamlined train.

59

1981

Chestnut Street Pumping Engine

1913

Erie

Pennsylvania

United States

Typical US municipal steam water-pumping engine of the late 19th century and early 20th century.

60

1981

Holt Caterpillar Tractor

1918

Stockton

California

United States

Earliest track-type gasoline-powered tractor, influencing designs worldwide.

61

1981

Michigan-Lake Superior Power Hydroelectric Plant

1902

Sault Ste. Marie

Michigan

United States

An early, extremely large-scale, low-head hydropower plant using many small turbines.

62

1981

Southern Pacific #4294 Cab-in-Front Steam Locomotive

1944

Sacramento

California

United States

Example of the final phase of US steam locomotive development in size and power.

63

1981

Jackson Ferry Shot Tower

1807

Austinville

Virginia

United States

One of the few surviving shot towers for making spherical lead shot.

64

1981

Graue Mill

1852

Oak Brook

Illinois

United States

One of a few survivors of typical US mill machinery with wood as the principal material.

65

1981

Evinrude Outboard Motor located at Outboard Marine Corporation

1909

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

Early model of outboard motor for small boats, now standard.

66

1981

Mount Wilson Observatory, 100-inch Hooker Telescope

1918

Los Angeles County

California

United States

Unique telescope mirror support and use of mercury flotation to reduce friction.

67

1981

Hiwassee Dam Unit 2 Reversible Pump-Turbine

1956

Cherokee County

North Carolina

United States

The first integrated pump-turbine to be installed in a US power plant and also the largest and most powerful in the mid-20th century.

68

1981

Edison Experimental Recording Phonograph

1877

West Orange

New Jersey

United States

The world's first practical sound recording machine.

69

1981

Creusot Steam Hammer

1876

Le Creusot

Saône-et-Loire

France

The most powerful steam hammer in the world for many years.

70

1981

Newcomen Engine

1712

Dartmouth

South Devon

United Kingdom

Direct descendant of Thomas Newcomen's first atmospheric steam engine. Located at the Dartmouth Museum.

71

1981

ALCOA 50,000-ton Hydraulic Forging Press

1954

Cleveland

Ohio

United States

One of the world's largest fabrication tools, dominant in aircraft and aerospace development.

72

1981

Rotating-arm Model-test Facility at Stevens Institute of Technology

1945

Hoboken

New Jersey

United States

The world's first model-test facility to conduct maneuverability and control experiments for surface ships, submersibles, and airships.

73

1982

Turbinia

1897

Newcastle upon Tyne

Tyne and Wear

United Kingdom

The world's first turbine-driven ship.

74

1982

Anderson-Barngrover Rotary Pressure Sterilizer

1920

Santa Clara

California

United States

The world's first continuous-stream automation of the cooking and cooling system for canned food.

75

1982

Alden Research Laboratory Rotating Boom

1908

Holden

Massachusetts

United States

Early 20th-century test facility for current meters, aircraft propellers, ships' logs, pitot tubes, and mine-sweeping paravanes.

76

1982

AC Electrification of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad

1907

Cos Cob

Connecticut

United States

A pioneering venture in mainline railroad electrification. The Cos Cob plant operated until October 1986, demolished in 2001. Artifacts were given to the Smithsonian Institution.

77

1982

Worthington Horizontal Cross-compound Pumping

1925

Erie

Pennsylvania

United States

Corliss-driven pump, typical of early 20th-century US practice.

78

1982

Electro-Motive FT Freight-service Diesel-Electric Locomotive

1939

St. Louis

Missouri

United States

Prototype of the first mass-produced diesel-electric locomotives used for US freight service. Located at Museum of Transportation as Southern Railway Locomotive #6100.

79

1982

Lombard Steam Log Hauler

1910

Patten

Maine

United States

The first practical example of crawler-tread vehicles now used in agricultural, construction, and military equipment. Located at the Lumberman's Museum.

80

1982

Aberdeen Range, Aberdeen Proving Ground

1943

Aberdeen

Maryland

United States

The world's first large-scale, fully instrumented ballistic range for producing data on aerodynamics.

81

1983

Corning Ribbon Machine

1926

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

Earliest example of the machine that automated light-bulb manufacture. Located at the Henry Ford Museum.

82

1983

FMC Citrus Juice Extractor

1947

Lakeland

Florida

United States

Early examples of machines that automated extraction of juices from fruit. Item no longer exists.

83

1983

Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 Electric Locomotive #4800

1943

Strasburg

Pennsylvania

United States

Locomotive prototype for use on electrified lines in eastern US, also exceptional for its flexible suspension system. Located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

84

1983

Reed Gold Mine Ten-Stamp Mill

1895

Midland

North Carolina

United States

Typical late 19th-century western-US stamp mill.

85

1983

PACECO Container Crane

1959

Alameda

California

United States

The world's first high-speed, dockside container-handling crane. The cranes were purchased in 1987 by the Port of Nanjing, China where they are now located. They were redesignated in 1988 in conjunction with the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society.

86

1983

Owens AR Bottle Machine

1912

Toledo

Ohio

United States

World's first automated bottling machine that introduced cheap and plentiful supply of glass containers. No longer exists.

87

1983

NS Savannah

1962

Newport News

Virginia

United States

The world's first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship.

88

1983

Xerography

1948

Columbus

Ohio

United States

Early models of revolutionary dry-copying process at the Battelle Memorial Institute.

89

1983

Wyman-Gordon 50,000-ton Hydraulic Forging Press

1955

Grafton

Massachusetts

United States

One of the world's largest fabrication tools, influencing aviation and aerospace technology.

90

1984

IBM 350 RAMAC Disk File

1956

San Jose

California

United States

World's first computer storage device with random access to large volumes of data.

91

1984

Archimedes Screw Pump

1890

Newark

California

United States

One of the US's oldest surviving examples of the wind-driven Archimedes screw-pump.

92

1984

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

1962

Menlo Park

California

United States

Unique electromechanical devices and systems in the longest accelerator in the world.

93

1984

Holland Tunnel Ventilation System

1920

New York

New York

United States

The world's first long underwater tunnel designed for motor vehicles, with innovative ventilating system.

94

1984

Norfolk & Western #611, Class J Steam Locomotive

1941

Roanoke

Virginia

United States

The last survivor of US coal-fired passenger locomotives, considered among the most advanced of any 4-8-4. Located at Virginia Museum of Transportation

95

1984

Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter

1939

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

The first practical US helicopter, pioneering the single-main-rotor concept. Located at the Henry Ford Museum.

96

1984

Quincy Mining Company No. 2 Mine Hoist

1920

Hancock

Michigan

United States

The world's largest mine hoist.

97

1984

SS Great Britain

1843

Bristol

Bristol

United Kingdom

The world's first iron-hulled, screw-propelled ship to cross any ocean, leading to Britain's world leadership in maritime commerce.

98

1984

SS Jeremiah O'Brien

1943

San Francisco

California

United States

One of only two operating survivors of the US emergency-cargo fleet known as Liberty Ships.

99

1984

Idols Station, Fries Manufacturing & Power Company

1898

Winston-Salem

North Carolina

United States

Typical 19th-century small-scale, low-head run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant.

100

1984

Belle Isle Gas Turbine

1949

Schenectady

New York

United States

The first gas turbine used for electric utility power generation in the United States.

101

1984

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line

1835

New Orleans

Louisiana

United States

The oldest surviving interurban-urban passenger rail transport system in the United States.

102

1985

Atlas Launch Vehicle

1957

El Cajon

California

United States

First launch vehicle for the US space program.

103

1985

First Hot Isostatic Processing Vessels

1956

Columbus

Ohio

United States

Early examples of fabrication vessels using gas pressure and temperature to produce advanced alloy and ceramic products. Located at Battelle Memorial Institute

104

1985

Basic-Oxygen Steel Making Vessel

1955

Trenton

Michigan

United States

Vessel that introduced the basic oxygen process to the United States. Presently owned by Detroit Steel Company.

105

1985

Detroit Edison District Heating System

1903

Detroit

Michigan

United States

Early example of typical US district heating plant.

106

1985

Cornwall Iron Furnace

1742

Cornwall

Pennsylvania

United States

Typical 19th-century US charcoal-fueled blast furnace, fully intact.

107

1985

Lowell Power Canal System and Pawtucket Gatehouse

1796

Lowell

Massachusetts

United States

Early major US water-power system and the first Francis inward-flow water turbine placed in service and oldest in existence.

108

1985

Jacobs Engine Brake Retarder

1957

Bloomfield

Connecticut

United States

The first practical mechanism for braking large trucks with engine compression as they descend long, steep grades at controlled speeds.

109

1985

Geysers Unit 1

1960

Sonoma County

California

United States

The first commercial geothermal electricity-generating station in North America.

110

1985

Harris-Corliss Steam Engine

1895

Atlanta

Georgia

United States

Example of a late 19th-century 350-hp Corliss-type steam engine. Located at Randall Brothers, Inc.

111

1986

Boulton & Watt Rotative Steam Engine

1785

Sydney

New South Wales

Australia

Oldest surviving operable rotative steam engine by Boulton and Watt. Located at the Powerhouse Museum.

112

1985

TV Emery Rice Steam Engine

1873

Kings Point

New York

United States

Mid-19th-century horizontal compound marine steam engine with return connecting rod.

113

1986

Fairbanks Exploration Company Gold Dredge No. 8

1927

Fairbanks

Alaska

United States

One of the last mammoth gold dredges in the United States accessible to the public.

114

1986

Pitney-Bowes Model M Postage Meter

1920

Stamford

Connecticut

United States

Early model of world's first commercial postage meter.

115

1986

Disneyland Monorail System

1959

Anaheim

California

United States

The first commercial Wenner-Gren monorail system.

116

1987

McKinley Climatic Laboratory

1944

Eglin Air Force Base

Florida

United States

Test facility with unequalled capacity to simulate a wide range of climatic conditions from arctic cold to jungle moisture for full-scale equipment testing.

117

1987

Icing Research Tunnel, NASA Lewis Research Center

1944

Cleveland

Ohio

United States

The world's oldest and largest refrigerated icing wind tunnel, with unique heat exchanger and spray system.

118

1987

Samson Mine Reversible Waterwheel & Man Engine

1837

Sankt Andreasberg

Lower Saxony

Germany

Hoists representative of bygone practice, including a waterwheel for ore hoisting and a mechanism to hoist workers.

119

1987

American Precision Museum

1966

Windsor

Vermont

United States

120

1987

Robbins & Lawrence Machine Shop

1846

Windsor

Vermont

United States

Site of first machine shop to achieve interchangeable manufacture on a practical scale.

121

1987

Holly Fire Protection and Water System

1863

Lockport

New York

United States

Site of the first US integrated system to supply water for public safety.

122

1987

Holly District Heating System

1877

Lockport

New York

United States

Site of the first US district heating steam-heating system.

123

1987

Kingsbury Thrust Bearing

1911

Holtwood

Pennsylvania

United States

First and still-operating Kingsbury thrust bearing in hydroelectric service, later used worldwide for all types of large machinery. Located at Holtwood Dam.

124

1987

Chapin Mine Pump

1893

Iron Mountain

Michigan

United States

Late 19th-century steeple compound-condensing engine and one of the largest at the time.

125

1987

Pullman Sleeping Car Glengyle

1911

Dallas

Texas

United States

Earliest known survivor of the fleet of heavyweight, all-steel sleepers built by the Pullman Company. Located at Museum of the American Railroad.

126

1987

Westmoreland Iron Works

1850

Westmoreland

New York

United States

An early and long-running malleable ironworks.

127

1987

Big Brutus Mine Shovel

1962

West Mineral

Kansas

United States

One of the world's largest power shovels.

128

1987

Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor

1957

Alameda County

California

United States

The world's first privately owned and operated nuclear power plant to deliver significant quantities of electricity to a public utility grid.

129

1987

Holyoke Water Power System

1859

Holyoke

Massachusetts

United States

Major 19th-century US industrial center for paper and textile industries, known for its machine shops and water-power system. See also: Holyoke Dam, Holyoke Heritage State Park

130

1987

Stirling Water-tube Boilers

1906

Dalton

Georgia

United States

Oldest existing steam generator in a US cotton mill.

131

1988

Roosa Master Diesel Fuel-Injection Pump

1947

Windsor

Connecticut

United States

Early developmental models of distributor-type injection pump for controlling engine speed.

132

1988

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Roundhouse

1858

Aurora

Illinois

United States

Innovative railroad yard machine shop for first railroad linking Chicago and the Mississippi River.

133

1988

Buckeye Steam Traction Ditcher

1902

Findlay

Ohio

United States

Earliest surviving example of the first successful traction ditching machine for laying agricultural drainage tiles. Located at Hancock Historical Museum.

134

1988

Geared Locomotives of Heisler, Shay, Climax

1872

Felton

California

United States

Early examples of small slow-speed 19th-century geared locomotives.

135

1988

Neuchâtel Gas Turbine

1939

Neuchâtel

Neuchâtel

Switzerland

The world's first successful electricity-generating gas turbine to go into commercial operation.

136

1988

AAR Railroad-wheel Dynamometer

1955

Pueblo

Colorado

United States

The first and only railroad dynamometer to test track wheels using vertical and lateral loads as well as thermal braking at the wheel rim.

137

1989

Texas & Pacific #610 Lima Superpower Steam Locomotive

1927

Rusk

Texas

United States

The sole surviving example of the earliest form of "superpower" steam locomotives.

138

1989

ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

1915

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

The first comprehensive standard for the design, construction, inspection, and testing of boilers and pressure vessels, greatly influencing public safety. Early book on loan to Henry Ford Museum.

139

1981

Roebling 80-ton Wire Rope Machine

1893

Trenton

New Jersey

United States

The only remaining Roebling machine, largest wire-rope closing machine in 1893.

140

1989

Arnold Air Force Base Wind Tunnel

1955

Arnold Air Force Base

Tennessee

United States

The world's first large-scale testing facility for jet and rocket engines in simulated high-speed flight conditions.

141

1989

Browning Firearms Collection

1878

Ogden

Utah

United States

Collection of sporting and military firearms designed by John Moses Browning. Located at Ogden Union Station Museum.

142

1990

Pierce-Donachy Ventricular Assist Device

1973

Hershey

Pennsylvania

United States

The world's first implantable heart pump to receive widespread clinical use.

143

1990

USS Cairo Engine and Boilers

1862

Vicksburg

Mississippi

United States

The sole survivor of the fleet of river gunboats built by the Union during the US Civil War.

144

1990

Curtis 500-kW Vertical Turbine

1903

Indianapolis

Indiana

United States

The first steam turbine electric-generation station.

145

1990

Southern Gas Association-PCRC Analog Facility

1955

San Antonio

Texas

United States

The first computer system to be applied to the design of natural-gas pipeline systems.

146

1990

National Soil Dynamics Laboratory

1935

Auburn

Alabama

United States

The world's first full-size laboratory for tillage tools and traction equipment in all types of soils .

147

1990

Baltimore & Ohio #4500, Freight, USRA 2-8-2A

1918

Baltimore

Maryland

United States

The first USRA freight locomotive built, representing the first standardized family of US locomotives.

148

1990

Atlantic Coast Line #1504, USRA 4-6-2A

1919

Jacksonville

Florida

United States

An early example of USRA passenger locomotives representing the first US standardization program. Located at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

149

1990

Hydromatic Propeller

1938

Windsor Locks

Connecticut

United States

Early example of propeller innovations, including variable-pitch control and feathering capability. Located at the New England Air Museum.

150

1990

Pin-Ticketing Machine

1902

Miamisburg

Ohio

United States

Early model of first successful price-marking, tag-attachment machine for US retail merchandising.

151

1991

Victoria Dutch Windmill

1870

Victoria

Texas

United States

Mid-19th-century wind-powered gristmill of Dutch turret-mill style.

152

1991

Jeep Model MB

1947

Toledo

Ohio

United States

Early four-wheel drive, multipurpose field vehicle representing an unusual combination of modern vehicle design.

153

1991

Cruquius Pumping Station

1849

Haarlemmermeer

North Holland

Netherlands

19th-century steam pumping station that drained the Haarlemmermeer.

154

1991

Greens Bayou Generator Plant

1949

Houston

Texas

United States

The first fully outdoor turbine-generator to be placed in commercial operation.

155

1991

Milam High-rise Air Conditioned Building

1928

San Antonio

Texas

United States

The first US air-conditioned high-rise office building.

156

1991

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway

1895

Chattanooga

Tennessee

United States

19th-century 3-rail incline.

157

1991

Pelton Waterwheel Collection

ca. 1880

Grass Valley

California

United States

Collection on the origins of the Pelton turbine and its principle of the "splitter" bucket.

158

1991

Fresno Scraper

1883

Fresno

California

United States

19th-century example of the scraper whose design served as the basis for most giant earth-movers.

159

1991

Nassawango Iron Furnace

1828

Snow Hill

Maryland

United States

The earliest surviving hot-blast furnace in the United States.

160

1992

ABACUS II Integrated-Circuit Wire Bonder

Dallas

Texas

United States

The world's first practical production machine for the assembly of integrated circuits, making possible their economical production.

161

1992

Q-R-S Marking Piano

1912

Buffalo

New York

United States

One of the first machines to produce master rolls for player pianos by recording actual performances.

162

1992

Apollo Space Command Module

1968

Titusville

Florida

United States

Apollo command module incorporating many innovations to allow safe transport of humans to moon and back.

163

1992

Meter-type Gas Odorizer

1937

Dallas

Texas

United States

Early safety device for introducing odor into natural-gas lines to make leaks apparent.

164

1992

New England Wireless and Steam Museum

1964

East Greenwich

Rhode Island

United States

Collection of Rhode Island steam engines, including one of the few surviving built at the Corliss Works.

165

1992

Old Mill in Nantucket

1746

Nantucket

Massachusetts

United States

The oldest operating smock-type windmill in the United States.

166

1992

Milwaukee River Flushing Station

1888

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

One of the earliest water-pollution control systems, reducing the concentration of pollutants in an urban stream.

167

1993

Ginaca Pineapple Processing Machine

1911

Honolulu

Hawaii

United States

Example of automated peeling and slicing machine that led to commercial pineapple production.

168

1993

Pegasus 3 Engine BS 916

1960

Bristol

Bristol

United Kingdom

Earliest surviving example of the prototype engine for vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jets, namely Harriers and AV-8Bs.

169

1993

Cryogenic Cooling System, Fermilab Tevatron

1983

Batavia

Illinois

United States

The largest cryogenic system ever built, providing benchmark for superconducting magnet designs.

170

Advanced Engine Test Facility at Marshall

1964

Redstone Arsenal

Alabama

United States

Unique cooling system for the testing of aerospace engines.

171

1993

Voyager Spacecraft Interplanetary Explorers

1972–1977

Pasadena

California

United States

The two most intelligent machines ever built by NASA space program. Display located at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

172

1994

Bay City Walking Dredge

1924

Naples

Florida

United States

The last remaining dredge in the United States with unique propulsion system, designed for a wetlands environment.

173

1994

Burton Farmers Gin Mill

1914

Burton

Texas

United States

The earliest known survivor of an integrated cotton ginning system widely used in the southern United States.

174

1994

Crown Cork and Soda Filling Machine

1892

Baltimore

Maryland

United States

One of two surviving automated machines that founded the bottling industry.

175

1994

Bergen County Steam Collection

1987

Hackensack

New Jersey

United States

A collection of operational steam engines and auxiliary equipment from the 19th century to the 1940s.

176

1994

Union Pacific Big Boy 4023 and Centennial 6936

1941

Omaha

Nebraska

United States

Two heavy-tonnage locomotives incorporating the best features of the day.

177

1994

Barker Turbine/Hacienda Buena Vista

1853

Ponce

Puerto Rico

United States

The only known example of a Barker hydraulic turbine, the earliest practical reaction type.

178

1994

Boeing 367-80

1954

Fairfax County

Virginia

United States

Prototype of the Boeing 707 and most jet transport systems, establishing economic feasibility of commercial air travel. Located at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

179

1994

Newell Shredder

1969

San Antonio

Texas

United States

The second and earliest surviving automobile shredder for recycling scrap metal.

180

1994

Johnstown Incline

1891

Johnstown

Pennsylvania

United States

One of the world's steepest vehicular inclines, typical of several built in the 19th century in Western Pennsylvania.

181

1994

BF Clyde's Cider Mill

1898

Mystic

Connecticut

United States

The oldest steam powdered cider mill in the US. A rare survivor of a once-commonplace rural US industry.

182

1995

Knight Foundry and Machine Shop

1873

Sutter Creek

California

United States

One of the earliest US water-powered foundry-machine shops, including Knight impulse turbines.

183

1995

Wright Field 5-foot Wind Tunnel

1921

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Ohio

United States

Early example of the "modern" wind tunnel for aircraft-model testing.

184

1995

Gravimetric Coal Feeder

1957

Cleveland

Ohio

United States

The earliest known coal feeder, representing innovations that influenced nearly all industries using coal-fired boilers.

185

1995

Ljungström Air Preheater

1920

Stockholm

Stockholm County

Sweden

Experimental model of the industrial air preheater, now used worldwide.

186

1995

Steamboat William G. Mather

1925

Cleveland

Ohio

United States

Prototypical ore boat on the Great Lakes.

187

1996

NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

1956

Mountain View

California

United States

R&D facility for testing of supersonic aircraft and spacecraft.

188

1996

Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel

1949

State College

Pennsylvania

United States

Unique experimental facility for hydrodynamic research and testing. Located at Pennsylvania State University

189

1996

Montgomery Glider

1883

San Carlos

California

United States

First heavier-than-air human-carrying aircraft to achieve controlled piloted flight. Located at Hiller Aviation Museum.

190

1996

Hart Parr Tractor

1903

Charles City

Iowa

United States

Earliest known internal-combustion-engined agricultural tractor in the United States.

191

1996

SS Badger Carferry

1952

Ludington

Michigan

United States

One of the last operating American steam lake boats with reciprocating engines and coal-fired boilers.

192

1996

Thermo King© C Refrigeration Unit

1940

Minneapolis

Minnesota

United States

Earliest known refrigeration unit for trucks, having worldwide impact on food preservation.

193

1997

Alligator Amphibian

1940

Quantico

Virginia

United States

Prototype of all tracked ship-to-shore landing vehicles. Located at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum

194

1997

Kew Bridge Cornish Beam Engines

1975

Brentford

Greater London

United Kingdom

Five notable 19th-century Cornish beam engines for municipal water supply.

195

1997

Bay Area Rapid Transit System

1972

San Francisco Bay Area

California

United States

The most advanced automated urban rail transit system incorporating many innovations, marking a new generation of rail travel.

196

1997

Bessemer Conversion Engine

ca. 1900

Rockford

Michigan

United States

An early example of the successful conversion of steam engines to internal-combustion engines.

197

1998

David Taylor Model Basin

1939

Bethesda

Maryland

United States

Among the world's largest test facilities for the development of ship design

198

1998

GE's Ultra High Pressure Apparatus for the Production of Diamonds

1954

Schenectady

New York

United States

The first apparatus to consistently produce industrial diamonds, demonstrating fundamentals of producing and containing very high pressures and becoming the basis for the industrial-diamond production that followed. Located at the Schenectady Museum.

199

1998

Hulett Ore Unloaders

1912

Cleveland

Ohio

United States

The largest and oldest surviving example of a highly efficient materials-handling machine unique to the Great Lakes that revolutionized ore handling and led to its rapid adoption throughout the lower-lake ore ports. In 2000, two of the four loaders have been demolished and scrapped, while the other two were dissambled.

200

1998

Paddle Steamer Uri

1901

Lucerne

Lucerne

Switzerland

The oldest operating vessel with a diagonal, compound steam engine, with disc valve gear.

201

1998

Cooper Steam Traction Engine Collection

1860–1883

Mount Vernon

Ohio

United States

Engines from the collection are among the oldest surviving agricultural steam engines, from 1860 to 1883, showing the conversion to mechanized farming. Located at the Knox County Historical Society.

202

1998

William Tod Rolling-Mill Engine

1914

Youngstown

Ohio

United States

Representative of steam-powered rolling-mill-engine drives early in the transition to electric drive and typical of the largest work pieces produced by U.S. foundries and forges.

203

1998

Siegfried Marcus Car

ca. 1875

Vienna

Austria

Direct predecessor of the modern automobile. Located at the Technical Museum, Vienna.

204

1999

Kinne Water Turbine Collection

1907–1937

Watertown

New York

United States

The largest collection of American turbine development. Located at the Jefferson County Historical Society.

205

1999

Peterborough Hydraulic (Canal) Lift Lock

1904

Peterborough

Ontario

Canada

The world's highest operating hydraulic lift lock, operating on the balance principle.

206

1999

Merrill Wheel Balancing System

1945

Englewood

Colorado

United States

Innovative method of wheel balancing (on the vehicle) adopted worldwide.

207

2000

Refrigeration Research Museum

1890–1960

Brighton

Michigan

United States

A private collection that represents many of the advances in mechanical refrigeration for US residential and commercial use from the late 19th century up to 1960.

208

2000

Fairbanks-Morse Y-VA Engine Diesel

1924

Lee County

Florida

United States

The earliest (perhaps only) existing example of early high-compression, cold-start, full-diesel engines developed in the United States for isolated or rural power generation machinery before widespread electrification was available.

209

2000

USS Albacore

1953

Portsmouth

New Hampshire

United States

An experimental submarine that pioneered the teardrop-shaped hull, high-strength steel, and many other test concepts affecting speed, depth changes, and underwater maneuvering.

210

2000

Link C-3 Flight Trainer

ca. 1935

Binghamton

New York

United States

An early flight simulator representative of the first truly effective mechanical device used to simulate actual flight processes.

211

2000

Tokaido Shinkansen

1964

Tokyo to Shin-Ōsaka

Japan

The world's first high-speed railway, which operated at about 210 km/h (130–160 mph).

212

2000

EIMCO Rocker Shovel Loader, Model 12B

1938

Park City

Utah

United States

The first successful mining device to replace human labor in removing the rubble from underground hard-rock blasting. Plaque located at Miners Plaza in historic Old Park City.

213

2000

George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

1888

Atlanta

Georgia

United States

Leader in transforming mechanical engineering education from a shop-based, vocational program to a professional one built on rigorous academic and analytical methods.

214

2001

Colvin Run Mill

ca. 1810

Great Falls

Virginia

United States

A good example of a typical early 19th-century (US) water-powered, Evans-type flour mill, restored into operating condition.

215

2001

Coolspring Power Museum

1890–1929

Coolspring

Pennsylvania

United States

An impressive variety of internal combustion engines, built primarily between 1890 and 1920 and consisting mainly of stationary engines used in industrial applications.

216

2001

Arecibo Observatory

1963

Arecibo

Puerto Rico

United States

The largest single-aperture telescope ever constructed. Joint designation with IEEE.

217

2001

Radio City Music Hall Hydraulically Actuated Stage

1932

New York

New York

United States

One of the largest movable stages in the world with innovative hydraulic equipment and controls, a forerunner of other stage designs as well as early aircraft carrier elevator systems.

218

2002

Apollo Lunar Module LM-13

1972

Garden City

New York

United States

First piloted vehicle designed to operate solely in the vacuum of space. Located at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

219

2002

Howard Hughes Flying Boat, HK-1

1947

McMinnville

Oregon

United States

The largest wood-constructed and the largest wingspan airplane ever built. Located at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.

220

2002

Pilatusbahn

1882

Mount Pilatus

Switzerland

The world's steepest cog railway.

221

2002

Brandywine River Powder Mills

1803–1921

Wilmington

Delaware

United States

The largest U.S. maker of explosive black powder, a once-important and now-obsolete 19th-century technology.

222

2002

Ditch Witch® DWP Service-Line Trencher

1952

Perry

Oklahoma

United States

The first mechanized, compact service-line trencher.

223

2003

Solar Energy and Energy Conversion Laboratory

1954

Gainesville

Florida

United States

Pioneering developments in solar-energy applications, with global accomplishments in training and innovation.

224

2003

Wright Flyer III

1905

Dayton

Ohio

United States

The first practical airplane. Part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

225

2003

Rumely Companies' Agricultural Products

1853

La Porte

Indiana

United States

Produced a line of agricultural equipment that played a vital role in the evolution of farming.

226

2003

Eddystone Station Unit #1

1960

Eddystone

Pennsylvania

United States

The second U.S. (earliest extant) supercritical steam-electric generating unit, pioneering significant increases in steam pressure, steam temperature, and unit size.

227

2003

First Ram-Type Blowout Preventer (BOP)

1922

Houston

Texas

United States

First ram-type blowout preventer, which sealed the wellhead and controlled pressure during drilling and oil production operations.

228

2003

Philo 6 Steam-Electric Generating Unit

1957

Columbus

Ohio

United States

The world's first commercial supercritical steam-electric generating unit.

229

2003

Great Northern 2313 — Montana Western 31 Gas

1925

North Freedom

Wisconsin

United States

The oldest-surviving Electro-motive Company (EMC) gas-electric rail motorcar and the oldest with Lemp control. Located at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum

230

2004

Lapeyre Automatic Shrimp Peeling Machine

1949

Biloxi

Mississippi

United States

For decades, this elegantly simple solution – known as the Model A Automatic Shrimp Peeler – has proven to be the most effective and widely used method of automatic shrimp peeling, despite attempts by others to develop alternative approaches.

231

2004

R.G. Letourneau Mountain Mover

1922

Longview

Texas

United States

This innovative scraper moved four times as much earth as conventional machines of the era which required a tractor and two operators.

232

2004

Reuleaux Collection Of Kinematic Mechanisms

1882

Ithaca

New York

United States

The world’s largest collection of 19th-century kinematic mechanisms. Located at Cornell University

233

2005

Model T

1908–1927

Dearborn

Michigan

United States

15 millionth Model T to come off the assembly line, marking the end of its production. Located at The Henry Ford.

234

2005

The United States Standard Screw Threads

1864

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

United States

The first US system of standardized screw threads.

235

2005

Ottmar Mergenthaler's Square Base Linotype Machine

1886

Carson

California

United States

One of two surviving square-base linotypes. Located at the International Printing Museum

236

2005

Birome Ballpoint Pen Collection

1938–1948

Buenos Aires

Argentina

First ballpoint pens; utilized the concept of a quick-drying ink whose flow is controlled by gravity and a metal ball housed in a socket.

237

2005

Eiffel Drop Test Machine and Wind Tunnel

1903 & 1912

Paris

France

Most accurate to date drop-test device and wind tunnel to measure drag on falling objects of various shapes.

238

2006

Grumman Wildcat “Sto-Wing” Wing-folding Mechanism[5]

Kalamazoo

Michigan

United States

First functional wing-folding mechanism, enabling aircraft to take up less space on ships. Located at Air Zoo.

239

2006

Hughes Glomar Explorer

1972

Houston

Texas

United States

A deep-sea drillship platform initially built for the United States Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division secret operation Project Azorian to recover the sunken Soviet submarine, K-129, lost in April 1968.

240

2006

Cooper-Bessemer Type GMV Integral-Angle Gas E

1944

Mount Vernon

Ohio

United States

Providing efficient compression energy for natural gas, petrochemical, refinery, and power industries around the world. Located at the Knox County Historical Museum.

241

2006

Noria al-Muhammadiyya

1361

Hama

Hama Governorate

Syria

A set of seventeen large water wheels operating on the River Orontes as they have for many centuries.

242

2006

Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar Apparatus (1962)

1962

San Antonio

Texas

United States

The first apparatus able to directly generate a complete dynamic (high-rate) stress-strain curve in a single experiment.

243

2008

Digital Micromirror Device

1996

Plano

Texas

United States

Modulating digital light pulses using up to 2 million micromirrors.

244

2008

Johnson Controls Multi-Zone Automatic Temperature Control System

1895

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

The first automated temperature control system for multi-zone applications.

245

2008

John Penn & Sons Oscillating Steam Engine

1841

Dresden

Saxony

Germany

The first steam engine to utilize oscillatory cylinders – installated in the steamboat Diesbar.

246

2009

Hughes Two-Cone Drill Bit

1909

The Woodlands

Texas

United States

Key technology that allowed drilling through medium and hard rock, tapped vast oil reservoirs much deeper below the surface than previously possible, and significantly improved the efficiency and cost of drilling.

247

2010

Belle of Louisville

1914

Louisville

Kentucky

United States

The oldest operating “western rivers” steamboat.

248

2011

Southern Railway Spencer Shops

1896

Spencer

North Carolina

United States

One of the few remaining intact 20th-century railroad locomotive facilities in the United States. Now the North Carolina Transportation Museum.

249

2011

Sholes & Glidden 'Type Writer'

1873

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

United States

Represents the first commercially successful typewriter to be manufactured in quantity for sale to the public.

250

2012

Mr. Charlie Oil Drilling Rig

1953

Morgan City

Louisiana

United States

The first offshore drilling rig that was fully transportable, submersible and self-sufficient.

251

2012

Textile Machinery Collection at the American Textile History Museum

1960

Lowell

Massachusetts

United States

Represents some of the most significant collection of 19th century tools and machinery for the manufacturing of textiles.

252

2013

Big Surf Waterpark

1969

Tempe

Arizona

United States

The first wave pool in North America to consistently generate 3–5 foot spilling waves suitable for surfing.

253

2013

Titan Crane

1907

Clydebank

West Dunbartonshire

United Kingdom

The largest crane of the hammer-head or "Titan" type, and the earliest survivor of its type.

254

2013

Collection of the Earliest Self-Governing Windmills

1870

Batavia

Illinois

United States

Batavia, IL was the location of 6 'American Farm Windmill' makers from about 1870 until WWII. The Collection contains many early windmills.

255

2013

Apollo Space Suit

1968

Frederica

Delaware

United States

Model A7L was the primary suit worn by astronauts on Project Apollo.

256

2014

Thrust Supersonic Car (ThrustSSC)

1997

Coventry

United Kingdom

The first car to officially exceed the speed of sound, the ThrustSSC Supersonic Vehicle.

257

2015

Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow No. 2

1887

Duluth

Minnesota

United States

The first machine to reliably remove deeply packed snow from railroad tracks.

258

2015

Technology Collection at the George Eastman House

1949

Rochester

New York

United States

The world’s preeminent museum of photography with many important artifacts.

259

2015

Funicular Giessbach, designed by Carl Roman Abt

1879

Giessbach

Brienz

Switzerland

The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track, with a short side track for the two cars to pass at midpoint. The passing track used turnouts with no moving parts known as Abt Switches.

260

2016

Pratt & Whitney R1340 Wasp engine

1925

Windsor Locks

Connecticut

United States

The Wasp R-1340 was a significant improvement to the radial aircraft engine design, making commercial aviation viable as early as the 1920s.

261

2016

3D Printing: Stereolithography

1984

Rock Hill

South Carolina

United States

Charles Hull developed a process to produce solid three-dimensional objects by successively ‘printing’ thin layers one on top of the other. This was the first commercially available 3D Printer.

262

2016

Worthington Direct Acting Steam Pumps

1838

Newport News

Virginia

United States

The pumps were direct-acting steam pumps built by the firm of Worthington & Baker. It had worldwide industrial applications. Henry Worthington was a founder of ASME.

263

2016

Rainhill Locomotive Trials

1829

Rainhill

Lancashire

United Kingdom

The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways, run for the nearly completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Five engines competed along a mile length of level track at Rainhill, in Lancashire (now Merseyside).

264

2017

Museo Storico dei Motori e dei Meccanismi

(Museum of Engines and Mechanisms - University of Palermo)

February 25th, 2011

Palermo

Sicily

Italy

The collection of the Museum of engines at the University of Palermo consists of both stationary and transportation power units, with an emphasis on automotive and aircraft engines, many of which are now rare. Some of the more notable items include the Neville stationary steam engine and the Ljungström counter-rotating steam turbine, the FIAT 8V and FIAT-Ferrari Dino automobile engines, the Siemens-Halske Sh.IIIa counter-rotary aircraft engine and the General Electric J47 turbojet engine.

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