Trevithick, who a few years earlier had constructed sev- 

 eral successful steam vehicles for use on the highways, in 

 February 1804 completed the construction of a machine at 

 Pen-y-darran, near Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales, 

 for use at the Pen-y-darran Iron Works of Samuel Homfray. 

 It is thought to have been the first steam locomotive ever 

 propelled along a railway. 



The first trip was made on Monday, February 13, 1804. 

 Among the several trips made by the locomotive was one of 

 9 miles, between Merthyr Tydfil and Abercynon, drawing 

 5 cars with a load of 10 tons of iron and 70 men. Although 

 a satisfactory machine, and one that proved that a useful 

 load could be hauled through the adhesion of wheels on 

 smooth track, it was not long in use because of frequent 

 breakage of the primitive railway. 



The single horizontal steam cylinder, projecting partly 

 into the end of the boiler, operated a crankshaft fitted with a 

 large-diameter flywheel. The driving wheels were coupled to 

 the crankshaft by gearing. The bore and stroke of the cyl- 

 inder are said to have been about 8V4 and 54 inches, respec- 

 tively, and the unflanged wheels were about 45 inches in 

 diameter. Discharge of the exhaust steam into the chimney 

 was utilized with this particular locomotive, as Trevithick 

 appreciated fully the effect it had upon the fire. The date of 

 this early use of exhaust steam to aid the fire greatly 

 antedates those claimed for later locomotive builders. 



Trevithick Locomotive Catch-me-who-can, 1808 



Trevithick's next best known locomotive, his Catch-me-who- 

 can, is represented in the national collection by a 9-inch-long 

 nonoperable model (USNM 244889). The model (figure 62) 

 was transferred to the Museum from the U. S. Department 

 of the Interior in 1906. Nothing further is known of its origin. 



The original Catch-me-who-can, built for Trevithick by 

 Hazeldine and Rastrick of Bridgnorth, was exhibited in the 

 summer of 1808 in London on a small circular railway laid 

 down on part of the ground now occupied by Euston Square. 

 The public was charged admission to enter a small enclosure 



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