The Steam Locomotive In America

For nearly half of the nation's history, the steam locomotive was the outstanding symbol for progress and power. It was the literal engine of the Industrial Revolution, and it played an instrumental role in putting the United States on the world stage. While the steam locomotive's basic principle of operation is simple, designers and engineers honed these concepts into 100-mph passenger trains and 600-ton behemoths capable of hauling mile-long freight at incredible speeds. American Steam Locomotives is a thorough and engaging history of the invention that captured public imagination like no other, and the people who brought it to life.

Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology. J. Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early 1700s through the early 1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to the United States from England. Lamb then shifts the scene to the development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small builders, and later, by the early 20th century, by only three major enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for its subsequent decline.

Relive train travel's earliest days with this splendidly illustrated story of steam locomotion, from "teakettles" to "titans." Working from builders' specifications, old engravings, and contemporaneous accounts, the author re-creates, in accurate renderings, the earliest locomotives.

History and development of steam power since 1900, including railroad-by-railroad histories and rosters.

Like many other books, Articulated Steam Locomotives of North America began as a modest attempt to chronicle a certain type of locomotive---in this case, the Mallet-articulated locomotive in the U.S.A. This project soon ballooned into unanticipated magnitude. It wasn't long before it became evident that Canadian and Mexican engines could not logically be ignored; they were an important part of the story. After that, one thing quickly led to another. By including the double-truck Fairlies, one was obliged to recognize their single-truck counterparts, as well as several mechanical hybrids which defied accurate classification. Locomotives having geared trucks were indeed articulated; thus, something had to be said about them. Then, there was the booster-engine which temporarily transformed ordinary locomotives into pseudo-articulateds. The latter-day duplex-drive locomotives could properly have been omitted; however, that would have concealed an important episode of motive-power progress wherein one railroad tried to avoid articulation. Consequently, duplex-drive locomotives are included, too.The author's efforts to locate suitable photographs to illustrate this chronicle have been remarkably successful--and there have been few locomotives whose portraits have been completely elusive. Considering the objective was to obtain views of every kind of articulated steam locomotive on every major railroad, this was no easy task. However, the end result is a dazzling collection of over 600 photographs--including more than 32 color views--some of them quite rare.

A book about classic American locomotives from the Golden Era of trains - it's a must for all train enthusiasts.