TRANSPORTATION ON LAND 



299 



this locomotive and in 1829 produced his famous 

 Rocket, which was the true beginning of the railroads 

 in England. 



In America railroads had their beginning about the 

 same time as in England. In 1827 the Baltimore and 

 Ohio opened a section of road to traffic. The cars were 

 drawn by horses. The first steam power for railroads 



Courtesy Standard Oil Co. of Xcw York 



FIG. 497. HOW THE DIFFERENTIAL WORKS 



in America was used by the South Carolina Railroad. 

 This road had the first practical locomotive built in 

 this country. It was called the Best Friend and was 

 used as early as 1830. Other early locomotives built 

 and used in this country were Peter Cooper's Tom 

 Thumb (Fig. 498) by the Baltimore and Ohio and the 

 Dewitt Clinton (Fig. 499) by the New York Central. 



The modern locomotive, a development from these 

 early engines, is truly an "iron horse." It combines all 

 of the modern developments of steam engines in a 

 single plant capable of developing great power and 

 speed. The modern passenger locomotive has large 

 drive wheels for great speed while freight engines 



have smaller drive wheels for greater power. Figure 

 501 shows a picture of a modern freight locomotive. 

 Compare it with the engines of a hundred years ago 

 in Figures 498 and 499. 



In a little more than a hundred years railroads have 

 developed in this country until combined they have 

 enough track to go more than seventeen times around 



Courtesy Baltimore and Ohio Railway 



FIG. 498. TOM THUMB 



the earth at the equator. The rapid growth of this 

 country would have been impossible without the de- 

 velopment of the railroads for transporting raw ma- 

 terials, finished products, and labor. 



Courtesy New York Central Railway 



FIG. 499. THE DEWITT CLINTON 



A very few years ago, if one wished to go any dis- 

 tance on land, the only means of transportation was 

 by railroad. In many instances the trip was slow, 

 dirty, and monotonous. Then buses came into the 

 transportation picture. A network of bus lines covered 

 the country and afforded a means of transportation 

 that was clean, comfortable, interesting, rapid, and 

 cheap. Many people who had formerly traveled only 



