John Bull (locomotive)

The John Bull is a built in the 19th century in England for the Camden and Amboy Railroad in the U.S. steam locomotive.

In order of first operated in the United States locomotives the John Bull was the sixth after the 1828 built in England Stourbridge Lion and its two sister machines Hudson and Delaware and the Pride of Newcastle from Robert Stephenson's workshop, which all of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company were imported, and the first 1830 made ​​exclusively in the U.S. steam locomotives, the Best Friend of Charleston and built by Peter Cooper Canton ironworks at Baltimore Tom Thumb.

The locomotive ran for the first time in 1831 and was placed out of service in 1866. Since the Smithsonian Institution in 1981 continued the now 150 year old locomotive again in operation, it is considered the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world. Today, the John Bull is in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, and a replica of the car from 1939 is seen regularly in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in operation.

• 3.1 Initial start-up
• 3.2 PR mainstay in the PRR
• 3.3 takeover by the Smithsonian Institution
• 3.4 1893 World's Fair
• 3.5 The "Fair of the Iron Horse "
• 3.6 The hundredth birthday
• 3.7 The recent exhibitions outside the Smithsonian

Construction

Note: In Need of documents is the exact description especially of the drive and control difficult. The following illustration below attempts to put the description in the evolution of American Locomotives in the terminology used in this country. Detailed error are not ruled out.

General Structure

The John Bull was built in England by Robert Stephenson and Company for the Camden and Amboy Railroad (C & A), the first railway in New Jersey.

Base and a connecting element for the main assembly of the machine is a 4.5 meter long and 1.9 meter wide frame including the wheels from the outside. Later modern locomotives had contrast frame almost exclusively located inside a between the wheels. This framework is supported by two sets of wheels, both of which served as the drive axles in the original version. Hence the B wheel arrangement in the upper part of the frame supports the rear firebox placed with the steam boiler. The frame is pulled so far back that it a platform for the operating crew could be interpreted - at that time still a " novelty " in the first steam locomotives. The drive cylinders are disposed below the boiler prior to the first drive axis.

Boiler and furnace

The cylindrical, 1067mm long boiler is positioned to lie as long boiler to the frame and has the front end of one of the first models of this kind a partitioned smoke chamber from which leads out of the flue upwards. The boiler is crossed by 62 heat pipes with a diameter of 50.8 mm, which transfer the heat from the exhaust on the way from the firebox to the smoke box to the surrounding boiler water. The Gesamtheizfläche this heating pipes is almost 20 square meters. Located at the rear of 1093 mm long, 966 mm wide firebox is designed for heating with firewood and has at the contact points to the boiler water a heating surface of about 3 square meters.

Landing gear

The driving wheels have a diameter of 1.37 m and are arranged with a center distance of 1.4 meters at a time. The wheel hubs are made ​​of cast iron, the spokes and rims were in the original version of locust wood, three quarters of an inch (19 mm) thick tires made ​​of forged iron. The axle shaft ends are guided through the frame to the outside and there is provided with each a short crank lever. In the original embodiment was in each case a coupling rod is mounted on both sides on the pin of the crank lever, the forced common rotation of the wheels. The axis of the front set was a simple continuous wave. Contrast is between the rear wheels is a complicated crank gear.

Drive

The moving of the piston and piston rod drive or connecting rods are articulated hanging at the front end of the piston rods downwardly, and passed under the drive cylinders and the first drive shaft to the rear to the crank mechanism, where they are articulated to the eccentric shaft. These rods are further extended beyond this hinging point out a short distance rearwardly and actuate the movement of said ends alternately, the valves for the steam supply to the cylinders. With forward and backward movement of the driving rod and the eccentric crank so that the wheels will be placed in rotating motion, which leads to the rails for travel motion.

Control for the direction of travel

The not too much going into the details of representation in Evolution of American Locomotives suggests the following:

• The rear axle is not a continuous unit, but the rear wheels have short Achswellenzapfen on which rests the Kurbelexzenter wave.
• The eccentric arms are not fixed, but turning loose mounted on the axle.
• They are also a small amount laterally slidable on the axle.
• On the Achswellenzapfen and the eccentric joints are gearing devices that intertwine at the end point of each lateral displacement of the eccentric and enforce the common rotation of the wheels with the eccentric crank.
• In the mean displacement position can rotate freely on the stationary wheel axles, the eccentric crank.
• The lateral connecting mounts for the eccentric shaft are arranged in each case offset by 180 °. That is, if the eccentric shaft from the fixed position is "left" moved into the final position "right", it must first perform a rotation of 180 ° to lock "right" for a "fixed" connected to the wheels.

Now, when a change of direction of the locomotive should be performed, the following happened:

• The Machinist triggered with a foot pedal locking the Exzenterkurbelwelle and moved it to the middle, freely rotatable position.
• With a hand lever the cylinder valves were lifted under the cab platform of the drive or crank rod ends ( or vice versa).
• With leverages on the valves of the machinist could individually control the steam supply to the cylinders by hand and thus the eccentric crank back and forth until it in the "right " - offset by 180 ° - lay position for the new direction.
• Now the eccentric shaft side is engaged and locked in this position in the toothing, and the control valve has been re-connected to the crank rod ends.
• After this assignment the crank engagement point 180 °, the wheels then turned in the opposite direction as before.

Costs and completion

The production cost was 785 pounds. The machine was disassembled for shipment to the initial setup again and transported in crates aboard the " Allegheny " to America. The able and knowledgeable engineer Isaac Dripps of the C & A delivered without drawings or instructions locomotive built together. The locomotive then was named No. 1

Additional Tender

As no tender has been supplied, the engineer Isaac Dripps built a four-wheel cart to on a whiskey barrel was attached as a water container. A leather hose connected the barrel of the machine.

Conversions

After start-up has been found that the rails in the curves were for the locomotive to narrow curves, even though they already had a relatively short wheel base. To avoid the problems resulting from, for example, the risk of derailment, the coupling rods were removed and provided the bearings of the front, now empty follower axis with a lateral clearance of 1 ½ inches (about 37 mm). In addition, a leading axle was mounted in a frame pivotally mounted on the frame front end in order to achieve better tracking. After these modifications, the John Bull had thus a wheel arrangement of " A 1'1 " - ie with a leading end swivel axis, a fixed idler ( former driving axle ) and a rear driven axle.

In the pictures of attached to the main frame front side Laufachsgestell frame is pulled up in an unusual manner to the level of the first, previous driving axle. This arrangement served might make with the pivotal movement of the bogie advance haste to push the axis of the previous first Treibradsatzes when cornering already a piece in the opposite direction to make the three wheelsets run in a weak arc succession.

With these modifications, the wooden spokes were replaced by cast iron wheel center. The previously placed on top of the firebox steam dome was placed on the former manhole forward and lined the firebox with wood.

In order to protect the crew and the brakeman before the bad weather, the attached tank - wagon or tender of the C & A was equipped with a cabin and their umbrella preferred to above the driver's cab. In addition, safety devices such as a bell and headlight were grown.

Operation and use

Initial start-up

The initial start-up in September 1831st On November 12, 1831, the President of the C & A Robert Stevens invited the parliamentarians of New Jersey and local dignitaries present to take a short test ride on the new locomotive. Among the passengers counted also the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Murat.

Up to the completion of the railway in 1833, the locomotive was out of service, the operation was carried out until then by draft horses. The C & A marked their first locomotives with numbers and names. The machine supplied was given the number 1 and the name of Stevens after the first president of the railway company. Over time, however, the locomotive crews called their machine because of its English origin increasingly the old John Bull as a reference to the well-known symbol of John Bull Finally, this name was abbreviated to John Bull and soon more common than the official name.

After the engine has been operated for many years as a shunting engine, it was withdrawn from circulation in 1866 and placed in Bordentown. Then by the machinery, the pump and the boiler to operate a sawmill were used.

PR mainstay in the PRR

1869 was taken over C & A from the "United New Jersey Railroad and Canals Company," which came up in 1871 in the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR ). The PRR was the locomotive renovate because they wanted to use them for public relations. However, the PRR made ​​a point that the locomotive was a bit "aged " in the renovation. So some original parts have been replaced by old-looking parts or completely removed in the Lokwerkstatt the PRR. The chimney has been replaced by a metal tube and the cabin was dismantled.

The PRR was the locomotive after renovation for some time at various exhibitions in order to promote the railway company. When driving, the John Bull was, for example, during the World's Fair " Centennial Exposition " to see in 1876. The PRR put the locomotive in 1883 and on the National Railway Appliance Exhibition in Chicago. The following year, the Smithsonian Institution, the John Bull acquired as the first major machine.

Acquisition by the Smithsonian Institution

In the Smithsonian Institution, the PRR found a new home for their historic locomotive and a suitable job for the engineer J. Elfreth Watkins. Watkins had lost by an accident at work a few years before a leg. So that he could no longer meet the physical requirements of the railway service, although put him the railway company for a time in the administration. It was therefore due to its specialist skills curator for the 1880 newly opened "Arts and Industries Building " of the Smithsonian Institution and supervised there the locomotive over the next few years. Watkins also ensured that the PRR and the Smithsonian Institution in the coming years worked together.

The locomotive was shown on December 22, 1884 for the first time in the East Hall of the Arts and Industries Building of the public. Except for a few occasions she was seen there for the next 80 years.

1893 World's Fair

Perhaps the most important exhibition of the locomotive outside of the Smithsonian Institution was the 1893er World Exposition World 's Columbian Exposition, to which the locomotive traveled to Chicago. The Pennsylvania Railroad was planning as most other companies, a major exhibition on their development. The PRR agreed, therefore, that the locomotive and some cars in the garages to Jersey City (New Jersey) will be managed. There, a restoration should take place, which again allowed to operate. Given the importance of the locomotive for the American railroad history, the locomotive should be honored in a special way. These had been planned by the PRR and the Smithsonian Institution, that the locomotive the route between New Jersey and Chicago overcame independently.

The overhaul of the locomotive was overseen by the PRR - chief engineer Theodore N. Ely. After a test drive to Perth Amboy, New Jersey ( 80.5 kilometers in 2 hours and 15 minutes) Ely was convinced that the locomotive worked reliably enough to invite the Governors of the of routing states and the President Grover Cleveland for the trip to Chicago.

The John Bull drew some cars with dignitaries and members of the press on their way from Perth Amboy to Chicago, which led first to Philadelphia. From Philadelphia drove local knowledge engineer as a pilot for the rest of the way to Chicago with where the train arrived on April 22. During their journey, the locomotive had reached an average speed of 40 and 50 km / hr. At the show, rides for the visitors were offered. On December 6, the return of the locomotive began; On 13 December, the locomotive was back in Washington, DC.

The "Fair of the Iron Horse "

1927 left the locomotive again the museum. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad celebrated its 100th anniversary with the Fair of the Iron Horse, Baltimore. Since the condition of the tender despite repairs deteriorated, so he had to be scrapped in 1910, was carried out by the PRR in the workshop in Altoona (Pennsylvania) a replica of the tender. It has also been overhauled in this workshop the locomotive to ensure steam operation during the exhibition. Until 1980, this was the last opportunity to see the locomotive under steam.

The hundredth birthday

After returning to the Smithsonian after the 1893 World's Fair, the locomotive for the next decades remained in the permanent exhibition. The museum commissioned in 1930 the PRR workshop in Altoona with the reconstruction of a second tender. This time, the fittings of the original tender were used again for the replica that had been stored at the scrapping of the original 20 years earlier.

1931 celebrated the Smithsonian Institution, the centennial "birthday" of the locomotive. However, the museum were not sufficient funds available to enable the locomotive to operating condition. It was therefore decided to show driven by compressed air, the engine. The museum borrowed from the Pennsylvania Railroad a passenger car from the year 1836 to show him behind the loco with the newly tender. The official celebrations were held on 12 November 1931. The festivities associated with the " operation" of the locomotive were transferred by CBS Radio.

The latest exhibitions outside the Smithsonian

1933 the PRR borrowed the locomotive again for the World's Fair Century of Progress in Chicago. In contrast to the previous journey, the locomotive was loaded this time and only exhibited. During this exhibition, it was decided that by the PRR in Altoona a workshop operable replica should be. 1939 began the employees of Lokwerkstatt the PRR in Altoona (Pennsylvania) with the construction of an operational replica. This should be used for further exhibitions, as the Smithsonian Institution wanted to keep the Originallok in a controlled environment. In 1940 this replica was driving at the World Fair New York World 's Fair for the first time, while the original and the reconstructed locomotive tender could return to the museum.

The locomotive was built in 1939 for the last time shown in the open. Due to the fragile condition of the locomotive, the museum curators decided not to carry out further exhibitions in the open air more. The locomotive was therefore shown for the next 25 years in the east hall of the museum. In 1964, the locomotive was transported to its present home, the National Museum of American History, then known as the National Museum of History and Technology.

Back in operation after 150 years

The Smithsonian commemorated the 150th anniversary of the locomotive in 1981 in a special way; she was placed under steam again 150 years after its construction, and since then is considered the oldest operational locomotive in the world.

Before the 150th birthday of the machine began in the Smithsonian discussions as to the meaning and the age of the locomotive best account can be taken. Among the curators of the Smithsonian Institution was agreement that the meaning was by then too little appreciated as the oldest existing locomotive or their use in the first railroad in New Jersey in the exhibition literature.

Getting controls on the locomotive in 1980 showed that the locomotive was in a relatively good mechanical condition and were noted no serious damage. When the wheels were lifted from the rails on which they stood for 50 years, also the axes been most freely. In January 1980, took advantage of museum employees compressed air to drive the cylinder and put the wheels through connecting rods 50 years ago on the move. The control seemed to be in good condition. Only remained unclear whether the boiler of the locomotive to the vapor pressure and the fire could not withstand.

The museum commissioned the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company to check the boiler suitability for commissioning. The investigation took place for three days outside the opening times of the museum from 18:30 clock to 4:00 clock in the morning and included electromagnetic, ultrasonic and X-ray examinations. The results showed that some hair cracks in the boiler were present. It was therefore decided, the boiler at a lower pressure of 50 psi (3.45 bar) to operate. The original boiler pressure at delivery to the C & A was 70 psi ( 4.82 bar). The management of the Smithsonian decided after some further hydrostatic testing that the engine could be operated again under its own power. After performing the last repairs the locomotive ran on September 15, 1981 outside of Washington (DC) her own power. This was the locomotive to the oldest continuously operating steam locomotive in the world.

The original John Bull is now in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Reengineering of the John Bull of 1939 is currently one of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and operated by this also.

Chronology

See also: Saxonia ( locomotive ) with a very similar design