The _Rocket_ was the third of the Reading’s locomotives, having been preceded by the Baldwin-built _Neversink_ in August 1836 and the Winans-built _Delaware_ in January 1838. It was delivered at Philadelphia by boat in March 1838, and was then carried up the Schuylkill Canal to the foot of Penn Street in Reading. From there it was hauled by team to the terminus of the Reading-to-Pottstown line at Seventh and Penn Streets, where it participated in the opening of this portion of the road in May 1838. It was first used in passenger service in July 1838, but in 1845, as the need grew for heavier motive power, it was relegated to the Construction and Roadway Department, where it remained in service until 1865. Next used for a short time to move and assort cars at Reading, it was finally transferred to the wharves at Port Richmond, Philadelphia, where it worked until retirement in March 1879, covering during its career some 310,164 miles. [Illustration: Figure 51.—Photo, taken about 1887, of _Rocket_ as it appeared during final stages of its life as _P & R locomotive No. 1_. Note absence of builder’s plate.] The _Rocket_ was constructed as a wood burner, but in 1862 was modified to burn anthracite coal. At that time it was also converted into a tank locomotive, a cab was added, and, it is now thought, the original wheels were replaced by the standard Philadelphia and Reading wheels shown in figure 51. Its present wheels, undoubtedly installed when the locomotive was refurbished in 1893, are 49½ inches in diameter and contain 20 round metal spokes staggered around the hub. Published descriptions of the _Rocket_ refer to 41¾-inch wheels, but this figure probably applies to an earlier set, possibly that installed in 1862. The _Rocket_ was formerly driven by all four wheels, but today only the rear two wheels are drivers. The cylinders of the locomotive, which are inside, have a 10½-inch bore and a 16-inch stroke. The wheelbase is 58 inches and the weight was originally 8.4 tons. This was raised during the 1862 rebuilding to 11.8 tons. The gauge is standard—56½ inches. The present smokestack is not original, and a headlight was not installed until recent years. The tank and cab added in 1862, as well as the bell, were removed at the time of the refurbishment. After its retirement in 1879, the _Rocket_ stood neglected at Reading until it was placed in condition for exhibition and permanent preservation at the time of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. It was exhibited in 1904 at St. Louis, and then was housed for many years in the Reading’s Columbia Avenue station in Philadelphia. It appeared at the Fair of the Iron Horse in 1927 (figure 52), after which it was taken to the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia. In October 1933 the _Rocket_ was lent to The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where it has since remained on exhibition.