New Britain herald., 1915-11-03
AHB progress of transportation in
 this country and it's present
 high state of efficiency can be

II
 this country and its present
 high state of efficiency can be
 emphasized in no better way than by a comparison of the large and powerful steam and electric locomo- tives used by the New Haven today with some of their prototypes of some of the old New England railroads which now form part of the New Ha- ven's system in southern New Eng land. Comparing these pygmies of the past with the giant locomotives of today brings to the mind at once the enor- nous strides made by rail transporta- tion in the last three-quarters of a cen tury and presents one of the chief req sons for the country's growth in this l period These locomotives. seen in their successive types. are like steps in the ladder of national progress.
 Some Historic Railroads.
 Many types of locomotives have been seen on the New Haven's lines, types representing every stage of the locomo- tive's marvellous evolution. and this is because the New Haven is made up of .nore of the original railroads of this country than any other large system. The development of the locomotive is indissolubly linked with the history of these railroads.
 Tho Earliest Locomotives.
 Between the very early locomotives, such as that seen hauling a train on the old Hartford and New Haven in IS41, and the latest Pacific type en- zines used to haul the New Haven's fast passenger trains there is little re- semblance. Yet in these curious con- trivanees, spouting smoke from their tall gmokestacks and at first barely beating out the horse, is seen the germ of she idea now embodied in all its completeness of detail in the engines of today. It remained for mechanical genius to perfect this idea in order to make the transportation industry the great instrument of commerce and so- cial intercourse that it has now be- come
 The Governor Bradford, 1S44.
 Representing a considerable advance over the very early types of loco motives Is the Governor Bradford, which was once familiar to patrons of the Old Colony. Here the locomotive was actually beginning to take shape. Built by the old Boston firm of Hinck- ley & Drury in 1844. this engine weigh ed fourteen and half tons. It's cylin, ders were 12 by 20 inches, and its sin gle drivers had a diameter of five feet. In 1885 this old engine, rebuilt and modernized to some extent, was still doing duty as a switch engine in the Boston yards.
 The Uncle Tom, 1s44.
 A contemporary of the Governor Bradford and of the same type was the Uncle Tom, used at one time or the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg now merged in the New Haven sys tenn Built some time in the forties this curious engine for years hauled { local passenger train consisting of two cars between Fitchburg and Sterling Mass. Like all early engines, 1t burned wood and for the purpose of letting of steam had a tall pipe close to the cab. But the feature of this engine which attracted attention through the countryside was the figure of the little OarKy, UHcl0 AoAn' AnouhIeo III AA and used as a flag holder. This en zine had four foot drivers.
 The Leoninster of the B. B. and F.
 1849.
 Appearing only five years after the Governor Bradford and the product o1 the same builders, the Leominster, also of the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg bears interesting testimony to the ra pidity with which the evolution of tn locomotive was proceeding in those years and reveals the constant study the early designers were making of th' problems of increasing the power weight and speed of their creations ghig locomotive weighed twenty'fou'