anybody know what the oldest locomotive in existence is?
i have references to engines built by Hackworth and Stephenson in the 1820’s in museums in England…M. Baldwin’s engine know as either “Old Ironsides” or the John Bull built 1832 for the Camden & Amboy Rwy was the oldest operating locomotive mid 1980’s i remember seeing that in a TRAINS news clip
I think it may be Puffing Billy, built in 1813, which is in a museum in the UK.
The “John Bull” built in 1831 by Stevenson, is the oldest operable locomotive in the world today. Its in the Smithsonian and they ran her a few years ago.
The oldest surviving I beleive is the “Puffing Billy”. George Stevensons “Rocket” still survives (in pieces) in a British museum somewhere.
There is the “Rocket” locomotive in the Science Museum in London which I believe is from 1829, I have a picture of it but I don’t know how to add it to this.
Thought the John Bull was a replica originally built by the predecessor of the B&O museum. I wonder what kind of inspections they had to run to get the original back up to snuff to steam? Seems to me that 170 year old boiler piping might not be all that trustworthy…
the reference i have is in a mid 80’s magizine…the engine ran for its sequi…150th anniversery…havent heard of it running since…there is a replica…just as there is a running replica of the ROCKET at the Henry Ford that was built in the 1920’s