Figure 5. — Latta's proposed duplex locomotive of 1857. 

 (From American Machinist, April 4, 191 2.) 



locomotive shown in figure 5.3o The design of this machine 

 permitted a more widespread distribution of the engine's weight as 

 well as utilization of the dead weight of the tender for traction. 

 The striking similarity of this plan to the ill starred "Duplex" 

 locomotives tested by the Southern Railway before World War I 

 should be apparent to many readers. Latta's son, Griffin T. Latta, 

 claimed in 1929 that a locomotive of this type was built for the Boston 

 and Maine Railroad, but no evidence has been found to verify his 

 statement.3i 



Latta's last attempt at locomotive building was the construction 

 of a steam dummy locomotive for use on the newly opened street 

 railway in Cincinnati. The Scieritific Artisan of November 26, 1859 

 (p. 117), noted that the Latta brothers had such an engine under 

 construction at their Buckeye Works. It was tested early in March 

 i860 (fig. 6). The locomotive was powered by a 6-horsepower ver- 

 tical portable engine, manufactured as a stock item by the Buckeye 

 Works, which burned coke to reduce smoke (fig. 7). While 



30 The American Machinist (April 4, 191 2, vol. 36, p. 533) discussed this catalog 

 briefly and reproduced the engraving of the Economist. An earlier reference to the 

 catalog was made by Latta in the Railroad Advocate (December 27, 1856), in which 

 he defended his coal-burning locomotive and noted "I am now preparing a cir- 

 cular . . ." on locomotive improvements. In its issue of April 25, 1857, the ^^fl'roca/^ 

 noted the publication of the circular and reviewed Latta's idea for wrought -iron 

 driving wheels as described therein. 



31 G.T. Latta to C.W. Mitman (curator, U.S. National Museum), October 31, 

 1929, data file, U.S. National Museum. 



1: 



