Development of the Locomotive Engine

First published in 1907, this work remains the best single source on the development of steam locomotives for those interested in their inner workings and technical specifications. Most of the more recent offerings on the subject are primarily nostalgic picture books celebrating the outward design of the great engines of the past. Sinclair spent half a lifetime operating locomotives before beginning a new career as a railway journalist which brought him in contact with the prime movers of the golden age of railroading. The author's lively story-telling style remains fresh, and the scholarly value of the book has been much enhanced by the inclusion of some 650 notes provided by his editor, who is a Curator of the U.S. National Museum, Smithsonian Institution. These notes provide further information and correct errors brought to light by more recent research. The editor has also provided an afterword, summarizing the final developments and the last years of the steam locomotive in the twentieth century.

This new edition retains all the numerous illustrations of the original— some 200 historic locomotives are pictured, plus numerous portraits of their designers and owners, and line drawings of mechanical configurations.

Contents: Introduction to the Annotated Edition. Preface. Origin and Growth of the Steam Engine. Early Attempts at Locomotive Construction. Development of Locomotive in Great Britain. Genesis of American Railways. Connecting the Ocean with Western Rivers. First Links of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad. How the United States Worked into Locomotive Building. Triumphs of Baldwin. Sellers and Other Philadelphia Pioneers. First Links of the New York Central Railroad. First Railroad Construction in New England. Locomotive Building in New England. Work of New England Pioneer Master Mechanics. Troublous Times in Railway and Locomotive Construction. Locomotive Building in New Jersey. The Erie Railroad. Reading's Mark on the Locomotive. The Lackawanna Railroad. The Lehigh Valley Railroad and Its Motive Power. Demand for Multi-Coupled Engines. Railroads Westward Ho! Locomotive Boilers. Smoke-Preventing Appliances. Spark Arresters and Draft Appliances. Development of Valves and Valve Motions. Freaks and Curiosities of Locomotive Designs. Growth of the Train Brake. Special Forms of Locomotives. Locomotive Accessories. Locomotive Works Still in Business. Railway Development in Canada. The Locomotive of To-Day. Afterword: The Final Years of the Steam Locomotive in America, by John H. White, Jr. Selected Readings.