Philadelphia & Germantown railroad
From: paulg5@ptd.net
I found this small piece of paper attached to the back of a picture frame that contains an old print entitled "Railroad depot at Philadelphia." It looks like it might be a early schedule (Timetable) for the Philadelphia Germantown line from 1832?
—Paul Goodwin
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 1:18 PM
5 Comments:
REGULAR ARRANGEMENT
Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad.
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE!
"NOTICE — The engine (built by M. W. Baldwin,) with a train of cars, will run daily, (commencing this day,) when the weather is fair, as follows, vis.:
From Philadelphia
At 11 o'clock A.M.
3 " P.M.
From Germantown
At 12 o'clock .M.
4 " P.M.
The cars drawn by horses will depart as usual from Philadelphia, at 9 A.M. and 1 P.M., and from Germantown, at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. When the weather is not fair, the horses will draw the cars the four trips. Passengers are requested to be punctual at the hours. Points of starting are at Green and Ninth streets, and from the Main street the center of Germantown, near Wunderer's hotel. Whole cars may be taken. Tickets, 25 cents."
From: Donnie Hensley
The first engine built by Baldwin (c/n 1) was in 1832 and was built for the PG&N RR. "Ironsides" 9½x18-54 2-2-0 Nov, 1832.
The date says Nov 23, so the engine had just been delivered. Funny that it was used only in fair weather. The next Baldwin was delivered in 1835.
—Don
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
From: Dan Cupper
Subject: PG&N fair-weather operation
This was because, despite his engineering genius in figuring out everything else surrounding the construction and operation of a steam locomotive, M.W. Baldwin had not yet figured out how to use sand to improve adhesion on wet rail.
The below-cited excerpt was published on Sept. 1, 1871 in the New Philadelphia (Ohio) Democrat, quoting the Scribner's Monthly magazine.
Dan Cupper, Harrisburg, Pa.
-----------------------------------------
The First Locomotive Works In America.
Scribner's Monthly for July, in describing Philadelphia and its industries, gives the following account of Baldwin's locomotive works: The Baldwin Locomotive Works on Broad street have a national reputation. Founded in 1831, they have grown to colossal proportions, and employ 1,800 men. It takes 1,800 men one day to complete, set up, and make ready for service a single locomotive. Thus these works could turn out 300 engines a year; in fact, in twelve months, ending last October, they actually sent off 267, which, one after another, went dashing over the country. Although Mr. Baldwin, the founder, is dead, the works still bear his name, for they are the creation of his inventive genius and indomitable perseverence.
Previous to the spring of 1831, only two locomotives had been built in this country, and those at the National foundry at West Point. In that spring Mr. Baldwin made a minature engine, with two cars, capable of seating four persons, and placed it on a track laid in Peale's Museum, where it was surrounded by curious crowds. The next year he received an order from the Germantown Railroad Company for the construction of a locomotive for their road. Although but a single American mechanic had succeeded in building one of any use, he boldly undertook it. At the time there was not a blacksmith in the city that could weld a bar of iron more than an inch and a quarter thick, and no one thought of attempting to weld a tire five inches wide and an inch and a half thick. The only machine for boring out a cylinder was a chisel fastened in the end of a stick, to which a crank was fitted and turned by hand. He had no proper tools, no patterns, no models, but, confidently relying on his genius and resolution, he went to work, and in six months had it finished and placed on the road. Crowds gathered along the line to see this self moving monster drag a train of cars after it. It was a great success. Soon after there appeared in the city papers the following notice:
'NOTICE. The engine (built by Mr. Baldwin) with a train of cars will run daily (commencing this day) when the weather is fair . . When the weather is not fair, the horses will draw the cars the four trips.'
It is not yet forty years since this extraordinary notice appeared in the press of a city into which, now, a dozen railroads run, along which dozens of locomotives thunder.
It is singular how the simplest contrivances are often overlooked, while those requiring the most consummate skill are wrought out. Here was a man who could, almost without tools, from his own ingenious brain construct a locomotive, and yet the simple remedy of a 'sand box,' to keep the wheels from slipping never occurred to him. The principal he doubtless had seen applied a score of times to keep the human foot from slipping on the ice, but he never thought of adapting it to this case, and so in wet weather the locomotive was stabled and the horses turned out, and vice versa in fair weather.
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
Thanks to all of you who have responded to my query!
Now I guess it just a matter of determining if the little slip of paper is
actually a times table or a newspaper clipping.
I assume that by 1832 newspaper were printed double sided,
what I have is blank on the back.
Well I guess this one will remain a mystery until another one turns up.
Or I get my hands on a copy of every newspaper in Philadelphia and vicinity
that was printed on that date.
Thanks again
Paul
All of the 19th century newspapers that I have seen were printed double sided.
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