igo Book of Locomotives 



That is roughly the development on the 

 big railways, but on privately owned lines, 

 like those serving collieries and brickworks, 

 there were still built some very freakish 

 engines. 



Many an old colliery engine of eighty 

 years ago was at work within the memory 

 of your fathers. Excellent fellows they were 

 with a lot of top-hamper of beams and 

 levers. How strange they looked! 



Well, all the first locomotives had this 

 arrangement, copied from the old beam 

 engines, which pumped water from the 

 mines, and did other work. The idea is to 

 transmit the power from cylinder to wheels 

 (in the case of the locomotives) without the 

 direct drive on to the axle. 



It was probably the case that the first 

 builders were doubtful whether the axles 

 would stand the direct drive, or it may be 

 that they were not inclined to bold experi- 

 ment. If we remember the intense oppo- 

 sition to the coming of the locomotive, we 

 can well understand that the first builders 

 would play for safety. 



