Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
This engine when completed was called “Old Ironsides” and left the shop
November 23, 1832. It stood on the rails like a “thing of life.” Its
light weight, between four and five tons, did not give it that tractive
power necessary to draw a loaded train on wet and slippery rails, hence
the newspapers of that day termed it a “fair weather” locomotive,
because the notices specified that “the locomotive built by Mr. M. W.
Baldwin, of this city, will depart daily, when the weather is fair, with
a train of passenger cars. On rainy days horses will be attached.”
The “Old Ironsides” was a four-wheeled engine, modeled essentially on
the English fashion of that day. The wheels were made with heavy
cast-iron hubs, wooden spokes and rims, and wrought-iron tires. The
price of this engine was $4,000, but the company claimed that it did not
perform according to contract, and after correction had been made as far
as possible, a compromise was effected and Mr. Baldwin received $3,500
for his work.
“Old Ironsides” on subsequent trials attained a speed of thirty miles an
hour with the usual train.
Only one man in Baldwin’s shop, besides the inventor himself, could
properly run “Old Ironsides.” This man fell sick, and others who tried,
could not get it to run satisfactorily. The president of the road was
about to throw it back on Baldwin’s hands when the engineer recovered
and the locomotive gave satisfaction. But Baldwin was so thoroughly
disgusted with all the complaints, and such was his first locomotive
that he said with much decision, “That is our last locomotive.” But
other great men have been known to change their minds, and when Matthias
Baldwin died, his works had built more than 1500 locomotives.
“The Miller,” for the Charleston and Hamburg, S. C., Railroad Company
was the next engine built by Mr. Baldwin. During 1834 he completed five
locomotives, and his business was now fairly established. It was during
this year that larger quarters were necessary, and Mr. Baldwin removed
his shops to the location on Broad and Hamilton Streets, where, in 1835,
the present Baldwin Locomotive Works had their origin, and where they
have since developed into their immense proportions.
The financial difficulties of 1836–37 did not leave Mr. Baldwin
unscathed. Great as his embarrassments were a full consultation with his
creditors resulted in the wise determination to leave him in full and
complete possession of the plant and business, under an agreement to pay
full amount of indebtedness, principal and interest. In five years
Baldwin discharged every dollar of debt.
August 25, 1842, Mr. Baldwin obtained a patent for a six-wheel connected
engine, which revived the business. In 1840 Baldwin built a locomotive
for Austria and in 1845 he built three for Wurtemburg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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