Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen, built in 1855, is the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular operation today, plying between New Delhi to Alwar in India. The locomotive was certified by the Guinness Book of Records to be the oldest operational locomotive after the Rajasthan government invoked it in 2004 to lug a deluxe train in order to boost tourism in the area. The Fairy Queen is run on the lines of the Palace on Wheels, the internationally renowned luxury train.

The Fairy Queen was constructed in Leeds, England in 1855, and reached Calcutta in the same year where it was christened as the Fairy Queen. The locomotive was given its fleet number 22, by its then owner, The East Indian Railway. It began to haul light mail trains between Howrah and Raniganj,[1][2] but was soon consigned to line construction duty in the state of Bihar, where it served until 1909. The locomotive spent the next thirty-four years on a pedestal outside the Howrah Railway Station near Calcutta. In 1943, the locomotive was shifted to the Railway Zonal Training School at Chandausi, where it served as a curiosity object for many of the students based there. In 1972, the Indian government bequeathed heritage status to the engine, rendering it a national treasure. The locomotive was spruced up and given a special spot in the newly built National Rail Museum, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

Most Popular Types of Locomotives

The largest single class of steam locomotive in the world is the 0-10-0 Russian locomotive class E steam locomotive with around 11,000 manufactured both in Russia and other countries such as Czechoslovakia, Germany, Sweden, Hungary and Poland. The Russian locomotive class O numbered 9129 locomotives built between 1890 and 1928. The German DRB Class 52 2-10-0 Kriegslok which consisted of approximate 7000 units. The British GWR 5700 class numbered about 863 units. The DX class of the London and North Western Railway numbered 943 units, including 86 engines built for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.

Soviet high-speed locomotives

Southern Pacific 4449

Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's (SP) GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 (Northern) type steam locomotive. GS stands for "Golden State", a nickname for California (where the locomotive was operated in regular service), or "General Service." The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, for SP in May 1941; it received the red-and-orange "Daylight" paint scheme for the passenger trains of the same name which it hauled for most of its service career. No. 4449 was retired from revenue service in 1956 and put into storage. In 1958 it was donated, by the railroad, to the City of Portland, who then put it on static display in Oaks Amusement Park, where it remained until 1974. It was restored to operation for use in the American Freedom Train, which toured the 48 contiguous United States for the American Bicentennial celebrations. Since then, 4449 has been operated in excursion service throughout the continental US; its operations are based at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, where it is maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers called Friends of SP 4449. In 1983, a poll of Trains magazine readers chose the 4449 as the most popular locomotive in the nation.


On July 2nd and 3rd 2011 the Southern Pacific 4449 made two trips from Portland, OR to Wishram, WA to raise money for the Friends of the 4449 and the 4449's 15 year inspection.

Orange Blossom Cannonball Steam Engine Run

When and where does it run:
Tavares, FL
Saturday run times: 10:00am 12:30pm and 3:00pm
Sunday run times: 12:30pm and 3:00pm

Train Route:
Tavares wooten park to Lake Jem and back

Train Information:
Type 2-6-0
Built in January 1907 in Philadelphia U.S
Baldwin Locomotive Works
Burnham Williams & Co.

Railroad Line:
Florida Central R.R

Tavares, FL History:
Tavares, (The Hub) of Lake County". was founded in 1882 and became the county seat in 1888 after a highly controversianl election. Although historical records say that Tavares won the election local historians tell a different story. According to legend, the City of Tavares and the City of Leesburg were both vying for the Country Seat. The election returns in Meanwhile W.D. Mendenhall, the postmaster, was determined to keep the judge, who was in Deland, to seek a court injunction aganinst moving the plan, H.H. Duncan secreted the country records away and transported them to Tavares via rowboat and horse drawn wagon.

Henry Holcomb Duncan was widely known for introducing the bill that created Lake County in 1887 from portions of Orange and Sumter Countries. Duncan became the first County Clerk and held the position for 33 years untill his death in 1920. He was know as a fearless and honorable man, and beloved by the people of Lake County. In his honor a bronze tablet hangs in the Lake County Historic Court House which reads simply "A Friend of the People".

World Speed Record for Steam Locomotives

Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938. While in other respects a relatively typical member of its class, it is historically significant for being the holder of the official world speed record for steam locomotives.

The A4 class was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as an express locomotive type to power high-speed streamlined trains. The wind-tunnel-tested,[1] aerodynamic body and high power allowed the class to reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), though in everyday service it was relatively uncommon for any steam hauled service in the UK to reach even 90 mph, much less 100. Mallard was in service until 1963, when it was retired, having covered almost one and a half million miles (2.4 million km).

It was restored to working order in the 1980s, but has not operated since, apart from hauling some specials between York and Scarborough in July 1986 and a couple of runs between York and Harrogate/Leeds around Easter 1987. Mallard is now part of the National Collection at the United Kingdom's National Railway Museum in York. On the weekend of 5 July 2008, Mallard was taken outside for the first time in years and displayed alongside her A4 sisters, thus reuniting all four A4s extant in the UK for the first time since preservation. She departed the museum for Locomotion, the NRM's outbase at Shildon on the 23 June 2010, where she was a static exhibit, until she was hauled back to York on 19 July 2011 and put back on display in its original location in the Great Hall.

The locomotive is 70 ft (21 m) long and weighs 165 tons, including the tender. It is painted LNER garter blue with red wheels and steel rims.

Mallard is the holder of the official world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938 on the slight downward grade of Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line, and the highest speed was recorded at milepost 90¼, between Little Bytham and Essendine. It broke the German (DRG Class 05) 002's 1936 record of 124.5 mph (200.4 km/h).

History

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine. Both fuel and water supplies are carried with the locomotive, either on the locomotive itself or in wagons pulled behind.

Steam locomotives were first developed in Britain and dominated railway transportation until the middle of the 20th century. From the early 1900s they were gradually superseded by electric and diesel locomotives. Wikipedia

Steam power is one of the most important and key aspects of the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam engine created many changes and additions to the technology of the time, including steam powered locomotives. Steam locomotives are vehicles that run on rails or tracks and are powered by steam engines. They were historically used for moving freight and other materials, as well as passengers. Although they were a popular method of transportation for a large part of the 19th into the 20th century, they were eventually replaced with more modern methods of transportation.

The Steam Engine

The creation of steam locomotives began with the development of the steam engine. The invention of the steam engine dates back into the late 17th century. In 1698, Thomas Savery, an English inventor, patented a device that allowed for the use of steam to pump water. The steam engine that
he created was used to remove water from mines. This design was improved upon by English engineer Thomas Newcomen in 1712. Later, further and more significant improvements to the steam engine were made by a Scottish engineer and inventor by the name of James Watt starting in 1763. It was Watt's improvements to the steam engine that opened the door to the invention of steam locomotives.