Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240: Contributions From the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 34-44 on Science and TechnologyMuseum of History and Technology (U.S.)
History
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240: Contributions From the Museum of History and Technology; Papers 34-44 on Science and Technology
Museum of History and Technology (U.S.)
Science -- History; Technology -- History
These two locomotives became the Cumberland Valley Railroad's _Pioneer_
(number 13) and _Jenny Lind_ (number 14). While Smith notes that one of
the engines was damaged during the inspection trials, Joseph Winters, an
employee of the Cumberland Valley who claimed he was accompanying the
engine enroute to Chambersburg at the time of their delivery, later
recalled that both engines were damaged in transit.[4] According to
Winters a train ran into the rear of the _Jenny Lind_, damaging both it
and the _Pioneer_, the accident occurring near Middletown, Pennsylvania.
The _Jenny Lind_ was repaired at Harrisburg but the _Pioneer_, less
seriously damaged, was taken for repairs to the main shops of the
Cumberland Valley road at Chambersburg.
[Illustration: Figure 3.--"PIONEER," ABOUT 1901, showing the sandbox and
large headlamp. Note the lamp on the cab roof, now used as the
headlight. (Smithsonian photo 49272.)]
While there seems little question that these locomotives were not built
as a direct order for the Cumberland Valley Railroad, an article[5]
appearing in the _Railroad Advocate_ in 1855 credits their design to
Smith. The article speaks of a 2--2--4 built for the Macon and Western
Railroad and says in part:
This engine is designed and built very generally upon the ideas,
embodied in some small tank engines designed by A. F. Smith,
Esq., for the Cumberland Valley road. Mr. Smith is a strong
advocate of light engines, and his novel style and proportions
of engines, as built for him a few years since, by Seth
Wilmarth, at Boston, are known to some of our readers. Without
knowing all the circumstances under which these engines are
worked on the Cumberland Valley road, we should not venture to
repeat all that we have heard of their performances, it is
enough to say that they are said to do more, in proportion to
their weight, than any other engines now in use.
The author believes that the _Railroad Advocate's_ claim of Smith's
design of the _Pioneer_ has been confused with his design of the
_Utility_ (figs. 6, 7). Smith designed this compensating-lever engine to
haul trains over the C.V.R.R. bridge at Harrisburg. It was built by
Wilmarth in 1854.
[Illustration: Figure 4.--MAP OF THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY Railroad as it
appeared in 1919.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account