

Figure 66. — Baldwin's half-crank for "inside- 

 connected" drive, with connecting rods and 

 cranks located between driving wheels, and 

 with axle journals outside of driving wheels. 

 One arm of the crank was formed by the 

 driving wheel itself. From U.S. patent, 

 September 10, 1834, restored drawing. Na- 

 tional Archives photograph. 



work, and asked if we would undertake the building 

 of some locomotives for the State railroads. As the 

 paper machinery and other work was slack, we took 

 the subject under consideration, and a few days later 

 I accompanied Mr. Cameron to the shops at Parkes- 

 burg to see and consult with their engineer, and with 

 Mr. Brandt, foreman of the shops. 



We rode from the head of the incline plane to the 

 shops on the open platform of the locomotive "Lan- 

 caster" (this was before the day of cabs). It was the 

 first engine Mr. M. W. Baldwin had built for the 

 State, and had been but a short time in service. It 

 had a high dome boiler, one pair of driving-wheels 

 back of the firebox, with half crank axle 203 and four- 

 wheel truck; the driving-wheels were cast-iron center 

 and spokes with wooden rim or felloes and wrought- 

 iron flange tire. The frame of the engine was wood, 

 cornered and plated with sheet iron; axle-boxes in 



cast iron slide pedestals with springs for both driving- 

 wheels and truck above the frame of the engine; the 

 cylinders much inclined and placed outside the 

 smoke-box. 204 I have given the description of this 

 engine as it was the type of what the commissioners 

 required, and that what follows may be better 

 understood. 



The result of this trip was that we undertook to 

 build some engines for the State road; the com- 

 missioners stipulating that the boilers should be dome 

 boilers, one pair of drivers back of the fire-box, and 

 cylinders outside of the smoke-box; drawings to be 

 made and submitted for their approval. Brandt was 

 very pressing that we should undertake to build these 

 engines. He proposed while making the drawings to 

 give me the advantage of what experience he had 

 with the English locomotives, 205 with the Baldwin 

 engine, and one of Norris' that was then having some 

 changes made on it, not having given entire satis- 

 faction, after which it ranked as the most reliable 

 and effective freight engine of its time. Before com- 

 mencing the drawings I had several discussions with 

 Mr. Brandt, and while making them he several times 

 came down to the city and remained over night with 

 me. It soon became evident that requiring the 

 driving-wheels to be placed back of the fire-box was 

 more due to Mr. Brandt's opposition to full cranks 

 in front of the fire-box, with the cylinders, valves and 

 their connections under the smoke-box, 206 than that 

 urged by the commissioners of unequal distribution 

 of weight and its injurious effect on the rails. 



It was also evident that full cranks could not be 

 placed back of the fire-box and the cylinders outside 

 of the smoke-box, without reducing the diameter of 

 the boiler and narrowing the fire-box to an extent 

 that was not admissible. 



203 "Half crank" refers to the arrangement of crank arms on 

 the axle of the driving wheels. A "full crank" is a conven- 

 tional crank, with crankpin between two crank arms. The half 

 crank dispenses with one of the crank arms, letting the driving 

 wheel serve as the missing crank arm. This design, shown in 

 figure 66, was employed by Baldwin for many years. 



204 But inside the frame, with connecting rods going to the 

 half cranks just inside each driving wheel. Axle bearing boxes 

 were outside the driving wheels. 



205 Unresolved is the question as to where Brandt gained his 

 experience with the English locomotives. The English engines 

 did not arrive for the Philadelphia and Columbia until early 

 in 1835 (see note 186, above). There were a number of other 

 Stephenson locomotives in use on American railroads by this 

 time, however; for example the John Bull on the Camden and 

 Amboy Railroad, now in the U.S. National Museum. 



206 This was the arrangement of the Stephenson locomotives. 



162 



