Subject:
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It's why we're all here...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sun, 11 Jan 2004 20:35:59 GMT
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Highlighted:
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(details)
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I feel a bit of a fraud building the
Rocket first,
so here’s something to set the record straight.
Also, it’s appropriate since 2004 is the bicentenary of the invention of the
steam locomotive.
The very first self-propelled railway engine was built in 1804 by Richard
Trevithick, for a mine in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It pulled its first load to
win a bet in 10 days time, less 200 years.
Click the image for more
pictures, once the folder is moderated.
It was named ‘Penydarren’, after the mine. Trevithick built the first
high-pressure steam engines
in 1802,
rather than the atmospheric/condenser engines invented by Thomas Newcomen and
popularised by James Watt & Co. Asked to build a static winding engine for the
mine, he devised a locomotive. Sadly, like Newcomen before him, Trevithick
never made his fortune from his invention, or received much acclaim during his
lifetime.
(more info...)
Once again, thanks to Big Ben Bricks for the wheels. There are a few
imperfections with the model. I think the chimney should start lower down, and
off to one side, rather than from the top as it is here. I just don’t have room
to fit it properly.
The model is also quite wide. At over 10 studs, I can only describe it as
sullivanesque. ;-) The hardest thing is tracking down pictures of it. There
is a wonderful CGI sequence in the film ‘Belleville Rendezvous’, where Mme.
deSouza’s dog dreams of chasing one across a huge viaduct. But, it seems the
animator had as much trouble as I did. Most sketches show the same side view.
Any photographs are of replicas, most of which I believe are non-working.
Jason R
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: It's why we're all here...
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| (...) My mistake - it was 21st February, so 10 days and one month to the bicentenary of the first steam locomotive. Funnily enough, that's exactly the day the NBLTC is putting on a display at the (URL) museum in Swindon... Jason Railton (20 years ago, 12-Jan-04, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.announce.moc, FTX)
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