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The
Steam
Train
By Willem Huntley
Who Invented the First Train?
English Coal Waggonway, Circa 1870
Originally made in Ancient Greece, the First "railway" was actually a wagon. The wheels would align with tracks carved in stone and pulled goods easily. This system was used even up through the renaissance and beyond, where they would be pulled by horses.
The First True Steam Engine, 1802
In 1802, Richard Trevithick created the first steam engine to ride along tracks. Trevithick's design could only travel at around 10 miles an hour, but it laid the foundation for steam engines to change how the world works.
The Fist Practical Steam Engine, 1829
George Stephenson and his son Robert created the mini-tube boiler in 1829. The new boiler allowed trains to operate at a much higher efficiency, being able to carry more weight at faster speeds. This was used in their famous locomotive known as Rocket, which showed how efficient a steam engine compared to other means of transportation.
American 4-4-0 Locomotive, 1836
Henry Campbell invented the 4-4-0 wheel design in 1836. The new wheel system both reliability and horsepower by a huge margin. The newest trains had independent wheel sections which allowed them to rotate. This let the trains make much tighter turns than before, which made them ideal for the mountainous terrain in the West.
How It Works
The steam engine design is made up of three basic parts. They include the wheels, the fuel, and most importantly, the boiler. These parts work together to power the train and haul goods across tracks.
Boiler
The boiler is the main component of how a steam engine operates. Water is heated into steam which is brought into a steam dome. Inside the steam dome is a valve that is controlled by the operator. Opening the valve allows steam to enter the cylinders (seen to the left). above the piston, there is another valve thast covers two holes. When one side is open, steam travels through it and pushes the piston. Pushing the piston also pushes the valve to the other side, forcing steam to push the piston back.
Fuel
Steam engines usually burn coal or oil to move. The fuel is used to heat the water in the boiler to power the piston, which then powers the wheels. Fuel is usually kept in a separate car behind the main engine called the tender.
Wheels
The piston head is attached to a long rod. As it is pushed back and fourth, the rod is pushed with it. at the end of the rod is a joint that connects to a second rod, which is then attached to the wheel. As the piston moves, the pivoting rod goes up and down, causing the wheel to spin.
The Transcontinental Railway
After the California Gold Rush in 1848, many Americans wanted to move west across the country. There were three ways of doing this. One, ride carriages and horses across the country. This was the most famous way, but risked disease, starvation, and native attacks, not to mention having to cross the Rocky Mountains. The Second way was to sail around South America. The journey was much safer, but took six months. The third way was to sail south again, but cut through panama. Passengers would have to disembark and load onto a new ship in the West Coast. This trip cut the time to sail in half, but risked yellow fever and other dangers.
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With the introduction of the steam engine, many people pushed for the creation of a transcontinental railroad. In 1862, the US Government, at the time under President Lincoln, approved the project and funded two companies to build it. The Central Pacific Railway Co. started in Sacramento and continued building East to meet with The Union Pacific Railroad Co. would build West from the Missouri River. Many Chinese and Black Americans were used to build the railroad. Unfortunately, the living conditions and salary was very bad for these workers, and they were treated very badly.
After seven years of very competitive building, the two companies finally meet in Promontory Summit, North of Great Salt Lake. The final spike was made of 17.6 karat gold, and was put in at 12:47 pm on May 10, 1869. The Transcontinental Railroad was finally ready to transport civilians across the country in under a week.
