Transcriber’s Notes:
Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_
in the original text.
Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs.
Old spellings have been preserved.
Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.
[Illustration: AN ENGLISH TEN-WHEELER, DESIGNED BY MR H. A. IVATT,
LOCO. SUPT. BUILT AT THE G.N.R. LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, DONCASTER]
THE
EVOLUTION
OF THE
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE.
(1803 TO 1898.)
BY
G. A. SEKON
_Editor of the “Railway Magazine” and “Railway Year Book,”
Author of “A History of the Great Western Railway,”
&c., &c._
London:
THE RAILWAY PUBLISHING CO., LTD.,
79 TO 83, TEMPLE CHAMBERS, TEMPLE AVENUE, E.C.
1899.
PREFACE.
In connection with the marvellous growth of our railway system there is
nothing of so paramount importance and interest as the evolution of the
locomotive steam engine.
At the present time it is most important to place on record the actual
facts, seeing that attempts have been made to disprove the correctness
of the known and accepted details relative to several interesting, we
might almost write historical, locomotives.
In this work most diligent endeavours have been made to chronicle only
such statements as are actually correct, without reference to personal
opinions.
In a broad sense, and taken as a whole, the old works on locomotive
history may be accepted as substantially correct.
From these, therefore, and from authentic documents provided by the
various railways, locomotive builders, and designers, together with
the result of much original research, has the earlier portion of
this account of the evolution of the locomotive steam engine been
constructed. The various particulars of modern locomotive practice have
been kindly supplied by the locomotive superintendents of the different
British railways, so that no question can arise as to the strict
accuracy of this portion of the work.
Nearly forty years ago it was authoritatively stated: “That kind of
knowledge of the locomotive engine which answers the purpose of a
well-informed man has already become so popular that it almost amounts
to ignorance to be without it. Locomotive mechanism is very simple in
its elementary nature, and the mind is naturally disposed to receive
and retain any adequate explanation of striking phenomena, whether
mechanical or otherwise; and hence it is that there are thousands
of persons who, although in no way concerned in the construction or
working of railway engines, are nevertheless competent to give a fair
general explanation of their structure and mode of working.”
If such were true at that time it is abundantly evident that it is more
so at the threshold of the 20th century, considering the growth of
inquiry into, and appreciation of, scientific and mechanical knowledge
by an ever widening and increasing circle of general readers, which
has been one of the marked signs of intellectual development during
recent years. Under such circumstances it is not surprising that
the locomotive and its history have received a large share of public
attention. Whilst railway officers, with the intelligence for which
they are justly distinguished, have always evinced a proper desire
to be acquainted with the evolution of the “steam horse,” the spread
of education has increased and quickened a desire for knowledge
concerning the locomotive amongst all classes in a remarkable manner.
Many of the numerous illustrations that embellish the book have been
specially collected for the purpose, and several will be quite new to
the majority of readers. Special pains have been taken to admit only
such illustrations the authenticity of which was known to the author,
and for the same reason many otherwise interesting pictures, upon the
accuracy of which suspicion rested, were excluded from the collection.
Despite these exclusions, we believe that no other book on locomotive
history in the English language is so fully illustrated.
As it is proposed to deal with the railway locomotive only, it is not
necessary to make more than a passing reference to the more or less
crude proposals of Sir Isaac Newton, the Marquess of Worcester, Savery,
Dr. Robinson, Leupold, and other writers and scientists, who hinted at
the possibility of steam locomotion. Nor does the writer propose to
discuss the alleged use of railways and steam locomotives in Germany at
a date prior to their general introduction into England. The claims of
Cugnot, Symington, Evans, Murdoch, and others as builders or designers
of actual or model steam road locomotives will also be passed without
discussion.
We take this opportunity of expressing our sincere thanks to the
locomotive superintendents of British railways, who have all been so
willing to assist the author, not only in supplying accurate data
concerning the locomotives of their own design, but also for so kindly
revising the portions of the volume that relate to the locomotive
history of the particular railway with which each one of these
gentlemen is connected.
In conclusion, we leave the “Evolution of the Steam Locomotive” to the
kindly consideration of our readers, hoping that from a perusal of it
they may derive both information and pleasure.
G. A. SEKON.
_December, 1898._
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFACE iii.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vi.
CHAPTER I. 1
” II. 10
” III. 28
” IV. 40
” V. 56
” VI. 66
” VII. 82
” VIII. 103
” IX. 130
” X. 156
” XI. 185
” XII. 205
” XIII. 231
” XIV. 260
” XV. 294
INDEX 321
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
“990,” the latest type of Great Northern Railway
express engine Frontispiece
The First Railway Locomotive of which authentic
particulars are known 3
Locomotive built by Murray for Blenkinsopp’s Railway 6
Brunton’s “Mechanical Traveller” Locomotive 8
Hackworth’s “Wylam Dilly,” generally known as Hedley’s
“Puffing Billy” 11
Hackworth’s or Hedley’s Second Design, used on the
Wylam Rwy. in 1815 13
Stephenson’s Initial Driving Gear for Locomotives 15
Stephenson and Dodd’s Patent Engine, built in 1815 16
Stephenson’s Improved Engine, as altered, fitted with
Steel Springs 17
“Locomotion,” the First Engine to Run on a Public Railway 20
The First Successful Locomotive, Hackworth’s “Royal George” 23
Hackworth’s Blast Pipe in the “Royal George” 24
Waste Steam-Pipe in Stephenson’s “Rocket” 25
The “Novelty,” entered by Braithwaite and Ericsson for
the Rainhill Prize 29
Hackworth’s “Sanspareil,” one of the Competitors at Rainhill 32
Stephenson’s “Rocket,” the Winner of the Rainhill Prize of £500 35
Winan’s “Cycloped” Horse Locomotive 38
Bury’s Original “Liverpool,” the First Engine with
Inside Cylinders, etc. 41
The “Invicta,” Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, 1830 45
The “Northumbrian,” the Engine that Opened the Liverpool
and Manchester Rwy. 46
Hackworth’s “Globe” for the Stockton and Darlington Railway 48
Stephenson’s “Planet,” Liverpool and Manchester Railway 49
“Wilberforce,” a Stockton and Darlington Railway Locomotive 53
Galloway’s “Caledonian,” built for the Liverpool &
Manchester Rwy. in 1832 54
Roberto’s “Experiment,” with Verticle Cylinders,
Bell-Cranks, etc. 57
Hawthorn’s “Comet,” First Engine of the Newcastle &
Carlisle Rwy., 1835 59
“Sunbeam,” built by Hawthorn for the Stockton and
Darlington Railway 64
The “Grasshopper,” with 10ft. driving wheels, built by
Mather, Dixon & Co., for the G.W. Rwy. 73
The “Hurricane,” with 10ft. driving wheels, a Broad-Gauge
Engine, built on Harrison’s System 76
The “Thunderer,” a geared-up Broad-Gauge Engine, built on
Harrison’s Plan. 78
Bury’s Standard Passenger Engine for the London and
Birmingham Railway 83
“Garnet,” one of the First Engines of the London and
Southampton Rwy. 85
“Harpy,” one of Gooch’s “Firefly” Class of Broad-Gauge Engines 90
Interior of Paddington Engine House, showing the Broad-Gauge
Locomotives of 1840 92
“Jason,” one of Gooch’s First Type of Goods Engines for
the G.W. Rwy. 93
Paton & Millar’s Tank Engine, for working on the
Cowlairs Incline, Glasgow 98
Stephenson’s “Long Boiler” Goods Engine,
Eastern Counties Railway 104
Gray’s Prototype of the “Jenny Lind, No. 49”,
London & Brighton Rwy. 104
”Hero,” a Great Western Railway Six-Coupled Broad-Gauge
Goods Engine 106
The “Great Western” Broad-Gauge Engine as originally
Constructed 107
The Original “Great Western,” as Rebuilt with Two Pairs
of Leading Wheels 109
The “Namur,” the First Engine built on Crampton’s Principle 112
Crampton’s “London,” First Engine with a Name, L. & N.W. Rwy. 113
“Great Britain,” one of Gooch’s Famous 8ft. “Singles,”
G.W. Rwy. 114
“No. 61,” London and Brighton Railway. 115
The “Jenny Lind,” a Famous Locomotive, built by Wilson and Co. 119
Trevithick’s “Cornwall,” with 8ft. 6in. Driving Wheels,
and Boiler below the Driving Axle 120
Trevithick’s “Cornwall,” as now Running between Liverpool
and Manchester 121
“Old Copper Nob,” No. 3, Furness Rwy., Oldest Locomotive
now at work 123
The “Albion,” a Locomotive built on the “Cambrian” System 127
The “Fairfield,” Adams’ Combined Broad-Gauge Engine and Train 132
The “Enfield,” Combined Engine and Train for the
Eastern Counties Railway 134
“Red Star,” a 7ft. Single Broad-Gauge Saddle Tank Engine 136
“No. 148,” L. & N.W. Rwy.; Example of Stephenson’s
“Long Boiler” Engines 137
Adams’ “Light” Locomotive for the Londonderry and
Enniskillen Railway 139
England & Co.’s “Little England,” Locomotive-Exhibition,
London, 1851 142
Crampton’s “Liverpool,” London and North Western Railway 145
Timothy Hackworth’s “Sanspareil, No. 2” 149
Caledonian Railway Engine, “No. 15” 153
“Mac’s Mangle,” No. 227, London and North Western Railway 154
“President,” one of McConnell’s “Bloomers,” as originally built 155
One of McConnell’s “Bloomers,” as Rebuilt by Ramsbottom 155
The “Folkestone,” a Locomotive on Crampton’s System,
built for the S.E.R., 1851 158
One of J. V. Gooch’s “Single” Tank Engines,
Eastern Counties Railway 161
“Ely,” a Taff Vale Railway Engine, built in 1851 163
McConnell’s “300,” London and North Western Railway 165
Pasey’s Compressed Air Locomotive, Tried on the E.C. Rwy., 1852 170
The First Type of Great Northern Railway Passenger Engine,
one of the “Little Sharps” 171
Sturrook’s Masterpiece, the Famous Great Northern
Railway, “215” 172
Pearson’s 9ft. “Single” Tank Engine, Bristol and Exeter Railway 174
One of Pearson’s 9ft. “Single” Tanks, taken over by the
Great Western Railway 176
A Bristol and Exeter Railway Tank Engine, as Rebuilt
(with Tender) by the G.W.R. 178
“Ovid,” a South Devon Railway Saddle Tank Engine,
with Leading Bogie 180
“Plato,” a Six-Coupled Saddle Tank Banking Engine,
South Devon Railway 181
The First Type of Narrow-Gauge Passenger Engines,
Great Western Rwy. 182
“Robin Hood,” a Broad-Gauge Express Engine,
with Coupled Wheels 7ft. in diameter 183
North British Railway Inspection Engine, No. 879 184
The “Dane,” L. and S.W.R., fitted with Beattie’s
Patent Apparatus for Burning Coal 187
Cudworth’s Sloping Fire-Grate, for Burning Coal,
as fitted to S.E.R. Locomotives 189
“Nunthorpe,” a Stockton and Darlington Railway
Passenger Engine, 1856 193
Beattie’s Four-Coupled Tank Engine, London &
South Western Rwy., 1857 194
Sinclair’s Outside Cylinder, Four-Coupled Goods Engine,
Eastern Counties Railway (Rebuilt) 196
Six-Coupled Mineral Engine, Taff Vale Railway, built 1860 202
“Brougham,” No. 160, Stockton and Darlington Railway 206
Conner’s 8ft 2in. “Single” Engine, Caledonian Railway (Rebuilt) 208
“Albion,” Cambrian Railways, 1863 210
A Great Northern Railway Engine, fitted with Sturrock’s
Patent Steam-Tender 218
Sinclair’s Design of Tank Engine for the
Eastern Counties Railway 219
Beattie’s Standard Goods Engine, London and
South Western Railway, 1866 226
Beattie’s Goods Engine, London and South Western Railway
(Rebuilt) 227
Adams’ Passenger Tank Engine, N.L. Rwy.,
as Rebuilt by Mr. Pryce 228
Pryce’s Six-Coupled Tank Goods Engine, North London Railway 229
Locomotive and Travelling Crane, North London Railway 230
“Python,” a 7ft. 1in. Coupled Express Engine, L. and S.W. Rwy. 232
8ft. 1in. “Single” Express Engine, Great Northern Railway 237
“John Ramsbottom,” one of Webb’s “Precedent” Class,
L. & N.W. Rwy. 238
“Firefly,” a London and South Western Outside Cylinder
Tank Engine 239
“Kensington,” a Four-Coupled Passenger Engine, London,
Brighton and South Coast Railway 240
“Teutonic,” a London and North Western Railway “Compound”
Locomotive on Webb’s System 244
“Queen Empress,” one of Webb’s Compound Locomotives,
L. & N.W. Rwy. 245
“Black Prince,” L. & N.W. Railway, a Four-Coupled
Four-Cylinder Compound Engine 248
Johnson’s 7ft. 9in. “Single” Engine, Midland Railway 251
“George A. Wallis,” an Engine of the “Gladstone” Class,
L., B. and S.C. Railway 252
“1463,” North Eastern Railway, one of the
“Tennant” Locomotives 253
Holmes’s Type of Express Engines for the North British Rai 254
7ft. “Single” Engine, Great Eastern Railway, fitted with
Holden’s Liquid Fuel Apparatus 256
“No. 10,” the Latest Type of Great Eastern Railway
Express Engine, Fired with Liquid Fuel 258
“Goldsmith,” one of the new London, Brighton and South Coast
Railway Express Passenger Engines 261
“Inspector,” London, Brighton and South Coast Railway 262
“No. 192,” a Standard Express Passenger Locomotive,
L.C. & D. Rwy. 263
Standard Express Passenger Engine, Cambrian Railways 264
Standard Passenger Tank Engine, Cambrian Railways 265
“No. 240,” the S.E. Railway Engine that obtained the
Gold Medal, Paris Exhibition, 1889 267
Standard Goods Engine, South Eastern Railway 268
Standard Passenger Tank Locomotive, South Eastern Railway 269
Latest Type of Express Passenger Engine, South Eastern Railway 271
Adams’ Standard Express Engine, London and
South Western Railway 273
A “Windcutter” Locomotive, “No. 136,” L. and S.W. Railway,
fitted with Convex Smoke-Box Door 274
Drummond’s Four-Cylinder Engine, London and
South Western Railway 275
Four-Coupled Passenger Engine with Leading Bogie,
North British Railway 277
Holmes’s Latest Type of Express Engine, North British Railway 279
Four-Wheels-Coupled Saddle Tank Engine,
London & North Western Rwy. 281
Standard Express Passenger Locomotive,
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 282
Standard Eight-Wheel Passenger Tank Engine,
Lancashire & Yorkshire Rwy. 283
Oil-Fired Saddle Tank Shunting Engine,
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 284
“Dunalastair,” Caledonian Railway 285
One of McIntosh’s “Dunalastair 2nd” Caledonian
Express Locomotives 287
Six-Wheels-Coupled Condensing Engine, Caledonian Railway 288
“Carbrook,” one of Drummond’s Express Engines for the
Caledonian Railway 289
McIntosh’s 5ft. 9in. Condensing-Tank Engine, Caledonian Railway 290
“No. 143,” Taff Vale Railway Tank Locomotive,
for working on incline 292
A favourite Locomotive of the Isle of Wight Central Railway 293
7ft. 8in. “Single” Convertible Engine, Great Western Railway 295
“Empress of India,” Standard G.W. 7ft. 8in. “Single”
Express Locomotive 296
“Gooch,” a Four-Coupled Express Engine, Great Western Railway 297
“Pendennis Castle,” one of the Great Western “Hill Climbers” 298
“Single” Express Engine, Six-Wheel Type, Great Western Rai 300
6ft. 6in. Four-Coupled Passenger Locomotive,
Great Western Railway 300
6ft. Four-Coupled Passenger Engine, Great Western Railway 301
“Barrington,” New Type of Four-Coupled Engine,
Great Western Railway 301
Four-Coupled-in-Front Passenger Tank Engine,
Great Western Railway 302
“No. 1312,” one of Mr. Ivatt’s (1073) Smaller Class of
Four-Coupled Bogie Engines, Great Northern Railway 304
The Latest Type of 6ft. 6in. Coupled Engine,
Great Northern Railway 305
Latest Type of G.N.R. Express Locomotive; 7ft. 6in. “Single,”
with Inside Cylinders, etc. 308
“No. 100,” one of the “T” Class Four-Coupled Passenger Engines,
Great North of Scotland Railway 311
Pettigrew’s New Goods Engine for the Furness Railway 315
Six-Wheels-Coupled Bogie Engine, with Outside Cylinders,
Highland Railway 316
Liquid Fuel Engine, Belfast and Northern Counties Railway 317
“Jubilee,” Four-Wheels-Coupled Compound Locomotive,
Belfast and Northern Counties Railway 318
“No. 73,” Standard Passenger Engine,
Great Northern Railway (Ireland) 318
Four-Coupled Bogie Express Engine, Great Southern
and Western Railway 319
“Peake,” a Locomotive of the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway 319
EVOLUTION OF THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE.
CHAPTER I.
Trevithick’s triumph; his first steam locomotives—Mistaken
for the devil—The Coalbrookdale engine—A successful
railway journey at Myrthyr Tydvil—Description of the
engine—“Catch-me-who-can”—The locomotive in London—
Blenkinsopp’s rack locomotive—Chapman’s engine—Did
Chapman build an eight-wheel locomotive?—Brunton’s
“steam horse”—Its tragic end.
To Richard Trevithick, the Cornish mine captain and engineer, belongs
the honour of producing the first locomotive—true, his original essay
was a road locomotive. As long ago as 1796 he constructed a model
locomotive which ran round a room; and on Christmas Eve, 1801, he made
the initial trip with his first steam locomotive through the streets
of Camborne. This machine carried several passengers at a speed in
excess of the usual walking pace of a man. Trevithick was joined in
the enterprise by his cousin Vivian, who provided the money to build
the steam engines, and to patent them, their first patent being dated
24th March, 1802. It is described as “for improving the construction
of steam engines, and the application thereof for drawing carriages
on rails and turnpike roads and other purposes.” It was claimed that
their engine would produce “a more equable rotary motion on the
several parts of the revolution of any axis which is moved by the steam
engine, by causing the piston-rods of two cylinders to work on the said
axis by means of cranks, at a quarter turn asunder.”
Among other improvements claimed in the specification, mention should
be made of the return tube boiler, bellows to urge the fire, and a
second safety valve, not under the control of the driver.
A steam carriage with these improvements was constructed, and Vivian
and Trevithick commenced a journey on it from Camborne to Plymouth,
from which port it was shipped to London. On the road to Plymouth
a closed toll-bar was met, and the steam carriage stopped for the
gate to be opened. “What have us got to pay here?” demanded Vivian.
The affrighted toll-keeper, shaking in every limb, and his teeth
chattering, essayed to answer, and at last said, “Na—na—na—na.” “What
have us got to pay, I say?” demanded Vivian. “Na—noth—nothing to pay,
my de—dear Mr. Devil; do drive on as fast as you can. Nothing to pay.”
It must be remembered that to Cornishmen of a century ago the devil was
a very real personage; and, seeing the horseless carriage proceeding
with a fiery accompaniment, the poor toll-keeper thought he had at last
seen his Satanic majesty. He also appears to have remembered that it is
well “to be civil to everyone, the devil included; there is no knowing
when you may require his good wishes.” Hence the toll-keeper’s reason
for calling Vivian “my dear Mr. Devil.”
As early as August, 1802, R. Trevithick (according to his life, as
written by his son, F. Trevithick) appears to have constructed a
railway locomotive at Coalbrookdale. This engine had a boiler of
cast-iron 1½in. thick, with an interior return wrought-iron tube. The
length of the boiler was 6ft., and the diameter 4ft. The cylinder
working this engine was 7in. in diameter, the stroke being 3ft. The
next railway locomotive was that constructed for the Pen-y-darren
Tramroad near Myrthyr Tydvil. Of this particular locomotive (Fig. 1)
it is possible to obtain authentic particulars, although much that
is legendary already clusters around this historic locomotive. For
instance, we read that the locomotive in question had a brick chimney,
and that it was demolished by colliding with an overhanging branch
of a tree. Then the amount of the bet between Mr. Homfray, the owner
of the tramroad, and his friend, as to whether the locomotive would
successfully perform a journey from Pen-y-darren to the navigation at
Plymouth, is a variable quantity. The amount staked has been stated to
be £500 a side, and also £1,000 a side.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.—THE FIRST RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE OF WHICH AUTHENTIC
PARTICULARS ARE KNOWN]
It is evident that some days prior to February 10th, 1804, the engine
successfully performed the journey, and that overhanging trees and
rocks considerably impeded the travelling, several stoppages having to
be made whilst these obstacles were removed. Mr. Homfray, however, won
the bet. On February 21st another trip was made by the locomotive. On
this occasion the load consisted of 5 wagons, 10 tons of bar iron, and
70 passengers, the weight of the engine, with water and fuel, being 5
tons; the journey of nine miles being performed in 4 hours 5 minutes,
including several stoppages; the average speed when travelling being
five miles an hour. On the return journey the engine hauled the empty
wagons up an incline of 1 in 18 at the rate of five miles an hour.
Several of the tram-plates, which weighed only 28lb. per yard, were
broken on the downward trip. Early in March the engine conveyed a load
of 25 tons from the iron works to the navigation.
It will be observed that this engine from the first decided the
practicability of conveying loads by means of smooth wheels on
smooth rails, simply by adhesion. Yet, strange to say, for several
years after, it was the firmly-fixed belief of succeeding locomotive
constructors that it was impossible to obtain sufficient adhesion
between a smooth surface and a smooth rail to successfully work a
locomotive. The result was the invention of many curious methods to
overcome this apparent difficulty, which, as a fact, never existed,
save in the minds of the designers of the early locomotives. These
men do not seem to have been fully acquainted with the results of
Trevithick’s experiments on the Pen-y-darren tramroad in 1804.
A description of this locomotive prototype is of interest. The boiler
was cylindrical, with a flat end. The fire-door and chimney were both
at the same end, an extended heating surface being obtained by means
of the return tube; above the fire-door was the single horizontal
cylinder, the diameter of which was 8¼in.; a considerable portion of
the cylinder was immersed in the boiler, the exposed portion being
surrounded by a steam jacket. The stroke was 4ft. 6in.! The piston-rod
worked on a motion frame extending in front of the engine. At the other
end of the boiler was a fly-wheel some 9ft. 6in. in diameter, the
motion being conveyed to it by connecting-rods from the cross-head;
a cog-wheel on the fly-wheel axle conveyed the motion by means of an
intermediate wheel to the four driving wheels, which are stated to have
been 4ft. 6in. in diameter. The exhaust steam appears to have been
turned into the chimney, not for the purpose of a blast, but only as an
easy method of getting rid of the vapour. It will be remembered that
Trevithick, in his patent specification, specially mentioned bellows
for urging the fire, and was, therefore, not acquainted with the nature
of the exhaust steam blast. It is important to bear this in mind, as
the reader will find in a later chapter. This engine is stated to
have blown up through not being provided with a safety valve, though
Trevithick specially ordered one to be fixed to the boiler, but his
instructions do not appear to have been carried out.
Trevithick made another locomotive, called “Catch-me-who-can.” This
ran on an ellipse-shaped railway specially laid down for it at Euston
Square, London, and was visited by many people during the few days
it was on view. Another locomotive was constructed from the drawings
of Trevithick’s Coalbrookdale locomotive of 1802, to the orders of
Mr. Blackett, the owner of Wylam Collieries. This engine weighing
4½ tons, had a single cylinder 7in. diameter, 3ft. stroke, and, of
course, a fly-wheel. For some reason or another this engine does not
appear to have been used on the Wylam tramroad, but was used in a
Newcastle foundry to blow a cupola. Mr. Armstrong, a former Locomotive
Superintendent of the Great Western Railway, was acquainted with this
engine of Trevithick’s at the time it was so employed at Newcastle.
Having given an outline of Trevithick’s invention of the tramroad
locomotive, and the other locomotive engines designed by him, we will
deal with the locomotive built for J. Blenkinsopp (Fig. 2), of the
Middleton Colliery, near Leeds, who, on April 10th, 1811, obtained
a patent for a self-propelling steam engine, worked by means of a
cog-wheel, engaging in a rack laid side by side with one of the rails
forming the tramway.
The erroneous idea that the locomotive of itself had not sufficient
adhesion between the smooth wheel and the surface of the rail to propel
itself and draw a load was strongly entertained by Blenkinsopp, hence
his patent rack and pinion system. Blenkinsopp having this opinion,
which he published by means of his patent specification, caused
succeeding inventors to fall into the same error regarding the adhesive
properties of the locomotive, and consequently considerably retarded
the development of the railway engine.
Although this engine is generally known as Blenkinsopp’s, it was
constructed by Matthew Murray, the Leeds engineer. The boiler was
cylindrical, with slightly convex ends, a single flue ran through
it, which was in front turned upwards, and so formed the chimney;
the fire-grate was at the other end of the flue, as in the modern
locomotive.
This engine was provided with two cylinders, and was, in this respect,
an improvement on Trevithick’s single cylinder engines. The cylinders
were 8in. in diameter, and placed vertically, the major portion of
them being placed within the boiler. The stroke was 20in., and the
motion was conveyed by means of cross-heads, working connecting-rods;
these came down to two cranks on either side below the boiler. The
cranks worked two shafts fixed across the frames, on which were toothed
wheels, both working into a centre toothed wheel, which was provided
with large teeth, these engaged on the rack rail previously described.
The cranks were set at right angles, so that one piston was exerting
power when the other was at its dead centre, and _vice versâ_. The
engine was supported on the rails by four wheels 3ft. 6in. in diameter.
The two cylinders were connected by a pipe which conveyed the exhaust
steam and discharged it into the atmosphere through a vertical
tube. The engine weighed 5 tons, burned 75lb. of coal per hour, and
evaporated 50 gallons of water in the same time. This locomotive could
haul 94 tons on the level at 3½ miles an hour, or 15 tons up an incline
of 1 in 15; its maximum speed was 10 miles an hour. The engine cost
£400 to construct, and worked from August, 1812, for a period of about
20 years, and in 1816 the Grand Duke Nicholas, afterwards Emperor of
Russia, inspected the machine. The tramway on which it worked was about
3¾ miles long.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.—LOCOMOTIVE BUILT BY MURRAY FOR BLENKINSOPP’S
RAILWAY]
In September, 1813, Murray supplied two of Blenkinsopp’s engines to the
Kenton Colliery.
On December 30th, 1812, a patent was granted to William and Edward
Chapman for a method of locomotion. A chain was stretched along the
railway and fastened at each end; connected to the locomotive by
spur gear was a barrel, around which the chain was passed. When the
barrel rotated, the chain was wound over it, and since the chain was
secured at either end, the engine was of necessity propelled. An engine
on this principle was tried on the Heaton Colliery Tramroad, near
Newcastle-on-Tyne. The machine was supported on wheels travelling on
the rails. The boiler was of Trevithick’s design, and fanners were used
to excite the combustion of the fuel. The weight of Chapman’s engine
was 6 tons. After a few trials the scheme was abandoned, as it was
found impracticable to successfully work such a system. Every eight or
ten yards the chain was secured by means of vertical forks, which hold
it when disengaged from the drum of the locomotive.
By this method the pressure of one engine on the chain was limited to
the fork on either side of the drum instead of being spread over the
whole length of the chain, and it would, therefore, have been possible
for several engines to have used the chain at one and the same time.
According to Luke Herbert and Lieut. Lecount, Chapman also built an
8-wheel locomotive for the Lambton Colliery. This engine, it was
stated, had vertical cylinders, and the motion was conveyed by means of
spur wheels. It weighed 6 tons loaded, and drew 18 loaded wagons, of a
gross weight of 54 tons, from the colliery to the shipping place on the
Wear; with the above load it attained a speed of four miles an hour up
an incline of 1 in 115. The dimensions and capabilities accredited to
this engine appear suspiciously similar to those related of the first
Wylam locomotive.
On May 22nd, 1813, Mr. W. Brunton, of the Butterfly Ironworks, obtained
a patent for a novel method of steam locomotion. This locomotive
inventor was also suffering from the common belief that it was
impossible to obtain sufficient adhesion between a smooth rail and
smooth wheels, despite the successes that had already been obtained in
this direction by Trevithick. He therefore built an engine supported
on four flanged carrying wheels, but propelled from behind by means of
two legs. Indeed, another inventor considered the idea of steam legs so
natural that he constructed a steam road-coach that was to be propelled
by four legs, one pair partaking of the character and motion of the
forelegs of a horse, and the other pair being fashioned on the model of
the hind legs of the same quadruped.
[Illustration: FIG. 3.—BRUNTON’S “MECHANICAL TRAVELLER” LOCOMOTIVE]
In Brunton’s leg-propelled steam locomotive (Fig. 3) we find that the
boiler was cylindrical, with a single horizontal tube passing through
it, and turned up in front in a vertical position, thus forming the
chimney. The motion was obtained from a single horizontal cylinder,
fixed near the top of the boiler, the piston-rod projecting behind;
the end of the piston-rod was attached to a jointed rod, the bottom
portion of which formed one of the legs. The upper portion of this
rod was attached to a framework fixed above the boiler of the engine,
which formed a fulcrum, and then by an ingenious arrangement of levers,
an alternate motion was given to the second leg. Each leg had a foot
formed of two prongs at the bottom; these stuck in the ground, and
prevented the legs from slipping. Upon steam being applied, the piston
in the ordinary way would have travelled to the end of the cylinder,
but the leg, having a firm hold of the ground, presented a greater
resistance to the steam than did the weight of the engine, so the steam
acting on the surface that presented the lesser resistance, caused the
cylinder to recede, and with it the engine, to which it was, of course,
firmly attached. By means of the reciprocating levers, a horizontal
rod travelled on the top of the boiler and over a cog-wheel; then on
the other side of this cog-wheel was another horizontal rod, which,
actuated by the cog-wheel, travelled in a contrary direction, and
being attached to the other leg of the engine, as the machine receded
from the first leg, it drew the second leg close up to the back of the
engine. The second leg was now ready to propel the engine, which it did
upon the steam being applied to the other side of the piston, and the
process was alternated with each admission of steam to the front or
back of the piston.
Whilst the legs were returning towards the engine the feet were raised
by means of straps or ropes fastened to the legs and passing over
friction-wheels, movable in one direction only by a ratchet and catch,
and worked by the motion of the engine.
Brunton called his locomotive a “mechanical traveller,” and stated
that the boiler was of wrought-iron, 5ft. 6in. long and 3ft. diameter,
weighing 2¼ tons, stroke of piston, 2ft., and at 2½ miles per hour,
with a steam pressure of 451b. per square inch, was equal in power to
nearly six horses. This locomotive curiosity blew up at Newbottle in
1816, and about a dozen people were thereby either killed or seriously
injured.