The Railroad Record reported, "Yesterday was shipped on board a 

 flatboat, to be shipped to Lawrenceburgh, for the Ohio and Missis- 

 sippi Raihoad. one of four large engines being constructed here for 

 that road. This is the first wide gauge, six foot gauge engine built 

 west, and has its cylinders parallel with the shafts. ^''i Niles is 

 known to have built at least twenty locomotives for this road. 

 American types, they were heavy for the period, but much of the 

 weight is explained by the larger machinery necessary for the wide 

 gauge. Their cylinders, for instance, were 15 inches in diameter with 

 a 20-inch stroke and generally required two days to bore. The 

 work was done with a horizontal boring bar and a 36-inch lathe. 

 The same method was used by Baldwin and most other builders, 

 since it apparently was the best and quickest method known at that 

 time.i''- 



Two remarkably detailed descriptions of Niles locomotives ap- 

 peared in the Railroad Advocate in 1856. The engines are described 

 as handsome and built on a progressive design. The components 

 are stated to be laid out in a tasteful, thoughtful manner. The 

 boiler, set low, had a high wagon top for ample steam room. Un- 

 usually large steam ports i inch wide by 18 inches long were used 

 for 15 X 22 inch cylinders. The disadvantages associated with 

 large ports were overcome by balanced valves. The light cylinder 

 fastening made without a conventional saddle was praised. Both 

 articles are reprinted as Appendix 4 for the reader wishing a more 

 complete mechanical description. 



Why hadn't Niles or, for that matter, the other western builders 

 captured the local market for locomotives? They built an honest, 

 progressive machine, employed alert and competent technicians and 

 designers, and could save local railroads the shipping charges, gen- 

 erally about S800, from eastern shops. Although many other factors 

 were involved, two basic reasons were prejudice against the western 

 shops and the easy credit of their eastern adversaries. Most of the 

 western railroads were built with eastern capital and were staffed 

 by men from the same section. They not unnaturally preferred the 



1*^^ (December 8, 1853), vol. i. p. 643. 



^^~ Journal of the Franklin Institute (January igoo), vol. 149, p. 10. 



109 



