Rail, Steam, and Speed: The "Rocket" and the Birth of Steam Locomotion
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.15 (667 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0231134746 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-08-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
(Marsh Wilkinson Jones Historian) . A surprising, but pleasing recommendation. (Popular Science)A fascinating story that anyone with even the smallest interest in the steam locomotive will enjoy a pleasurable and highly informative read. (Ink)This is a narrative history at its best. Gamst Technology and Culture)An excellent resource for those who want to know more about the developments that led to the creation of the first locomotives. You don't have to be a railroad fanatic to find this book fascinating. Maxted Library Journal)This book, an excellent example of the genre Highly recommended (Choice)McGowan captures the gen
He adapted the engines to power road carriages, but atrocious roads led him to build an engine that could run on rails. Five machines were entered in the competition: the horse-powered Cycloped attained a top speed of only five miles per hour, while Perseverencewhich looked like a giant iron bottle standing upright atop four wagon wheelscreaked along at a walking pace. From October 6 through 14, 1829, in a small village just outside Liverpool, England, ten thousand spectators gathered to witness one of the most remarkable events of the Industrial Age: a battle among locomotives that became known as the Rainhill Trials. But the three-way race between Robert Stephenson's Rocket, Timothy Harworth's Sans Pareil, and the crowd favorite, John Braithwaite and John Ericson's Novelty, astonished the gathered crowds. But what was achieved during those nine days became a benchmark of the Industrial Revolution. Rail, Steam, and Speed explains why and offers an absorbing account of the trials, people, and science that gave birth to steam locomotion.The purpose of the trials had been to find a locomotive that could maintain a speed of ten miles per hour for a round trip totaling thirty-five miles, the distance separating Liverpool and Manchester, which were soon to be linked by the world's first passenger railway. He encountered George Stephenson's son Robert in a Colombian hotel
An Outstanding Contribution To The History Of Steam Locomotives David J. Fiore Sr. I recently purchased this book because I have an interest in the history of steam locomotives. I enjoyed it immensely. The author, Chris McGowan, blends technical and biographical information with the events and politics of early 19th century England in an easy to read historical treatise that is both educational and entertain. Making Railroads Work. I found this book very illuminating on why the Rocket is an icon in the history of Railroads. It was the first locomotive that embodied the various small incremental technologies, and this book lucidly explains the differneces in the engines tested at the Rainhill Trials.. A fantastic read! Success, failure, industrial espionage, and clashing mechanical geniuses provide a fascinating read. Its hard to put this one down!
Christopher McGowan is the author of several books, including A Practical Guide to Vertebrate Mechanics; Dinosaurs, Spitfires, and Sea Dragons; The Raptor and the Lamb: Predators and Prey in the Living World; and The Dragon Seekers: The Discovery of Dinosaurs During the Prelude to Darwin. He recently retired from the Department of Paleobiology at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, and is a professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of Toronto.