Such was the beginning of the locomotive. In Great Britain alone over 600,000,000 people are annually drawn by locomotives. Add to these figures, which represent only a small island, the persons drawn by locomotives in America, Europe, and other parts of the world, and the number becomes stupendous almost beyond belief. CHAPTER II. DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. In order to become an engineer, the first thing necessary is to gain a thorough understanding of the peculiarly complicated machine which it is the duty of engineers to control. This is of the highest importance, and a careful study of this chapter and the diagrams accompanying it will be of great assistance to anybody who contemplates becoming an engineer. There are locomotives and locomotives, all built on the same general plan, but varying in details according to the ideas of their builders, and the class of work which they are expected to perform. [Illustration: AN AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE WITH TWO DRIVING WHEELS.] Thus for elevated roads and short surface lines, devoted principally to passenger travel, locomotives of light capacity are employed; costing less at the start, and being less expensive to run. [Illustration: AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE WITH FOUR DRIVING WHEELS.] The "dummy" is even a grade below these, being practically a stationary engine set on a car with driving wheels attached. [Illustration: OUTSIDE VIEW OF LOCOMOTIVE.] [Illustration: INSIDE VIEW OF LOCOMOTIVE.] In America our locomotives are built with long boilers and have a general trim appearance. Some have two driving wheels, others, still longer, have four. We illustrate both of them. English locomotives present a clumsy appearance alongside the American. For us to attempt to decide which is the best, would be the height of presumption. Certain it is, however, that English locomotives do run at a greater average speed than those in the United States. We will now proceed to describe by tabular arrangement, an English locomotive. This description will practically describe the American locomotive as well. We cannot enter into a detailed description of both for want of space, and select therefore the machine which has attained to the highest speed. We will first look at the outside of the locomotive. 1, 2, 3, Barrel of Boiler. 6, Smoke-box. 22, Smoke Stack. 32, Spring balance. 33, Whistle. 34, Dome. 64, Exhaust pipe. 70, Cab. 85, Brake blocks. 87, Life guards. 88, Trailing axle and wheel. 59, Heading axle and wheel. 54, Driving axle. O, Speed indicator. P, Splasher. S, Sand-box. T, Tool-box. V, Safety valve. W, Balance-wheel. Let us now take an inside view of the locomotive. Compare the numbers carefully with the cut, and take time to think what you are doing, otherwise don't read this part at all.