The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

the locomotives which had taken mart
In the Rainhill competition in England
Mr.. Baldwin undertook the work, and on
April rs, 1881. the miniature locomotive
was put In motion on "A circular track
made Of pine boards covered with hoop
iron. in the rooms Of the museum. Two
small cars containing seats for four pas.
sengers were attached to It. and the
novel spectacle attracted crowds Of ad-
miting spectators. Both anthracite and
pine knot coal were used as fuel and the
exhaust steam was discharged into ths
chimney. thus utilizing IL to increase
the draught.
The success Of the model was s~n
that In the same year Mr.. Baldwin re-
ccived an order FOR locomotive from
the Philadelphia. Germantown and Nor
ristown Railroad Company. whose short
line of six miles 20 Germantown was
operated by horse power. The Camden
and Ambov Railroad Company had
shortly before imported locomotive
from England, which WAS stored in a
shed at Bordentown. II had not yet
been put together; but Mr.. Baldwin. in
company with his friend Mr.. pea,e,
visited the spot, inspected tho detached
parts. and made a few memoranda Of
some of its principal dimensions.
Guided by these figures and his ev-
pcrienCe with the Peale model. Mr..
Baldwin commenced the task. Tho dim
culties TO be overcome in filing tho
order can hardly be appreciated at this
day. There were few mechanics com
petcnt TO do any part OF tho work on a
locomotive. Suitable tools were with
difficulty obtainablc. Cylinders were
bored by a chisel fixed in block Of
wood and turned by hand. Black
smiths able TO weld "A bar OF iron OK
Ceedinv one and one-uuarter inches In
thickness were few. or not 10 be had.
II was necessary for Mr.. Baldwin 10
do much OF the work with his own
hands. to educate workmen who as
sisted him and to improvise tools for
tho various processes.
THE work was prosecuted, neverthe-
csts. under an these difficulties. and tho
locomotive was fully completed. chris
tened Old Ironsldes and tried on tho
road November %. 1889. The price NJ
the engine was 10 have been $4,000. but
some difficulty was found in procuring
settlement Mr. Baldwin
FINALLY received $4,000 for tho machine"
Contemporaneou pccount thus de-
scribes the trial run OF Old Ironsides:
had arrived from Germantown in thu
afternoon. the tracks being clear. prep
nrm.lons were made for her starting.
The placing IRE in the furnace and
raising steam occupied twenty minutes.
The engine. with her tender, moved
from the depot In beautiful style. work
ing with great ease and uniformity.
"Sho proceeded about half a mile be-
yond the Union Tavern. at the town
snip line, and returned Immediately. a
distance OF six miles, at a speed OF
about twenty-eight miles TO tho hour.
| her speed having been slackened at all
the road crossings. and II being after
dark but portion of her power was
! used. II r. needless to say tina, the
spectators were delighted.
Prom this experiment there IL every
reason To believe this engine will draw
thirty tons gross. at an average speed
Of forty miles an hour. on n level road.
Tho principal superiority OF tho engine
over any OF rho English ones known
consists in the light weight. which Is
but between four and Ave tons. her
small bulk and the simplicity OF her
working machinery" Subsequently.
Old lronsidcs attained n speed OF thirty
mlcs an hour when drawing its usual
train.
The success Of the engine led 10 the
following advertisements in PouLson's
/ american Advertiser ~ November &c.
1899:
/ Not.ce-The locomotive engine (bullt
by VI. W. Baldwin OF this city, will de-
part daily, when the weather Ia fair. with
train OF passenger cars. commencing on
Monday. the 9Gth instant. Tho
cars drawn by horses will also depart as
usual. when the weather Is not
IA.
THIS advertisement meant that in ad-
/ dltion to their limited service in fair
whether the horses should maintain
y their own schedule and take over that
% the steam locomotive when the
weather vas Indictment. Such was the
( state Of steam traction IN this country
4 eirhtv-two years ago,
Thanks to the appreoiatlve spirit with
which native genius greeted the intro
duct'on of the travelling engine"
America to-day is in the forefront OF the
art OF locomotive building. II would
take pages 10 recount even briefly tho
inventions and the developments that
have made the wonderful steam horse
what Il Is to-day, but everybody knows
what It can do In Transporting billions
OF dollars worth OF commodities over the
broad expanses Of the country and In
seemingly shortening the distances that
separate American cities George
Stephenson had the gift Of prophecy and
the capacity to make real some OF his
| predictions. but It 10 doubtful II In his
most visionary moments he ever
dreamed Of the locomotiN as It has been
developed since his day.