It sported an upright boiler like Cooper's "Tom Thumb" but also featured some now-common steam designs such as rod-connected drivers and a trailing tender to store the wood (really just a two-axle flat car with small sides). The maximum speed of Locomotion No. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Salvageable parts from the Best Friend were used in constructing a new locomotive, named the Phoenix. It is widely acclaimed as the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue. 2015-2020 University of South Carolina aws, first locomotive built in the United States for public service, South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, used slaves to work on the line, both as laborers and as firemen to regulate the steam engine, engine was rebuilt and rechristened the Phoenix, University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies, https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/best-friend-of-charleston/. Later regulations specified that no train was to exceed 20 mph unless greatly behind time. Ah, what would we do without loopholes? Eventually, the large Savannah River became the primary route to eastern ports. The Best Friend Of Charleston Museum is a great place to learn about the train history of Charleston. The blast is said to have been caused by the fireman tying down the steam pressure release valve; he had grown tired of hearing it whistle, so to stop the noise he closed the valve permanently. Overall, the unit weighed about 3.75 tons (minus water in the boiler and fuel/wood). Siegling, H. Carter. It was on exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Newcastle in 1881, Chicago in 1883, Liverpool in 1886, Newcastle in 1887, Paris in 1889, Edinburgh in 1890. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, If you are researching anything EMD related please visit, If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the, C&O's George Washington (Train): Timetable, Route, Consist. All written content, photos, and videos copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). Cool history and a cool train in the middle of the museum that you are not allowed to climb on, but it is still good to look at and imagine. Educational Resources, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4-D Lands at the State Museum This Holiday Season, Special Offer for Healthcare Workers Every Saturday in November, State Museum Celebrates Spring Break With 50% Off Kids Admission This April, E-Learning Activities Colonial Crossword, E-Learning Activities Transportation Crossword (Planes, Trains and Automobiles! It is believed that Locomotion No. Even though that theory was immediately debunked on the 1830 Christmas excursion, the operational Charleston & Hamburg Railroad set strict but flexible speed limits. It was assembled and tested. Fun fact: Did you know the Best Friend got a shout-out from Johnny Cash in his 1974 educational video Ridin the Rails? The locomotive's name came from its home base of operations, Charleston, South Carolina as during those early years it was actually common practice to name them. As a means of implementing Britain's "southern strategy", such a disparate collection of militia arms was earmarked for the eventual use of Carolina Loyalists. In 1928 an operable replica of the locomotive was completed using original blueprints upon which time it was donated to the city of Charleston in celebration of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road's 100th anniversary. 641 6. After the incident the railroad salvaged parts from theBest Friendto construct thePhoenix, which remained in use until the start of the Civil War in 1861. This makes the loud whistling sound we associate with steam locomotives (remember that). If youve ever been to the South State Museum, chances are youve looked up at our pre-historic megalodon shark named Finn, checked out the Boeing Observatory, and seen the full-scale locomotive replica at the top of the stairs to the science & technology floor. [19] Originally only at Darlington on loan from Beamish, ownership of the replica was transferred to Darlington Borough Council, which will see the replica returned to service in time for the S&D's 200th anniversary. A few months later in December, the first commercially operated steamer constructed in America went into service, the Best Friend of Charleston on the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Centennial History of South Carolina Railroad. On 23 June 1823, the pioneering locomotive manufacturer Robert Stephenson and Company was established by the railway engineers George Stephenson and his son Robert Stephenson, and the businessmen Edward Pease and Thomas Richardson. Find the locations in Minnesota here which harken back to the bygone era of rail travel when dinner was served aboard the train. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers. On June 17, 1831, less than six months after its debut, the locomotive fell victim to one of the country's first serious railroad accidents. Address:
I love people and these last 14 years gave me the opportunity to work closely with a wonderful variety of people.. But for John A. Smith, SR control engineer, Atlanta, and engineer of the little train the past 15 years, it was time to say good-bye. He may also have tried to overpressure the boiler as the locomotive was expected to perform hard work (e.g. The locomotive weighed 6.6 tonnes, with many elements, including the boiler, cylinders and wheels, composed of cast iron, although the frame was timber. Even though he was among movie stars, beauty queens, politicians and even astronauts, John always helped shine, clean, grease, load , unload and perform any other task that kept is Best Friend in top running order. To accomplish their goal, Charleston had the South Carolina legislature charter the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company. The "Best Friend" did much in its short life. It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. He has the patience, interest and friendly personality deal with the public. Some One month later, the rail line reached Woodstock, a point between Charleston and Summerville. Did you just fucking question the train fact man? If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Explorer. A replica was donated to the city of Charleston by Norfolk Southern in 1993. The locomotive was built for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company by the West Point Foundry of New York in 1830. The Best Friend was destroyed by an explosion in 1831. [8][pageneeded], According to author H. C. Casserley, Locomotion No. After its inaugural run on Christmas Day, it was used in regular passenger service along a six-mile (9.7km) demonstration route in Charleston. The white farmer's son and the black slave boy grew up together. 1 became obsolete within a decade. Due to his recommendation the railroad placed an order for a new steam locomotive from the West Point Foundry based in Cold Spring, New York. Between 1857 and the 1880s, it was usually on the pedestal display at Alfred Kitching's workshop near the Hopetown Carriage Works. When a subsequent explosion on the Charleston & Hamburg injured passengers in the first car behind the engine, the company took action. Among the many artifacts chronicling the company's 153-year history are a locomotive bell, railroad maps, stock books and the mail contract with the Confederate government. Regrettably, this incident also gave theBest Friend of Charlestonanother place in history, as the first locomotive in the U.S. to suffer a boiler explosion. That action put Best Friend of Charleston in the history books again, this time for experiencing the first recorded boiler explosion on an American railroad. Mr. HARRIS has been a useful citizen, and for many years was a Marshal and afterwards Mayor of this city. With the decrease in commerce, Charleston merchants began aggressively investigating avenues to revitalize the floundering economy. The blocked valve caused the pressure within the boiler to exceed its capacity, and it exploded. [6][pageneeded] The driver, who had to perch on a small platform beside the boiler, was James Stephenson, the elder brother to George Stephenson; the fireman, William Gowling, stood on a footplate between the engine and the tender. In 1941, he entered the four-year machinist apprentice program, but actually became qualified in two years because of the ware. :
A vertical boiler mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the Best Friend was built by the West Point Foundry of New York and put into service on a broad-gauge line from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C., by the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company on Dec. 25, 1830. 1 hauled the first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and became the first locomotive to run on a public railway. From its first days, the rail line has most often been referred to by the unofficial, but descriptive, name, The Charleston & Hamburg Railroad.. The resulting explosion blew the locomotives into pieces and the man to Kingdom come! Sadly, the Best Friend of Charleston suffered a boiler explosion in . It took ten months to shape up the little train, including the installation of a new boiler. in the Northeast although it was not until the B&O was chartered and Norfolk Southern will miss this special man whos been an invaluable link between its railroad and the communities we serve. Dubbed "Best Friend of Charleston" by eager merchants, the train made its premier trip on Christmas Day 1830, becoming the first steam locomotive in the US to establish regularly scheduled passenger service. 1930. During the next 50 years, the Best Friend was featured at the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948, the Diamond Jubilee celebration at Thomasville, N.C., in 1963, the 100th birthday of Ludlow, Ky., in 1964, a Civil War commemoration at Perryville, Ky., the same year and the KentuckyRailwayMuseum at Louisville in 1966. In doing so, it completely revolutionized America's transportation. NS had the locomotive completely overhauled at its Chattanooga shops and it looks quite stunning repainted in its original ornate livery of red and green with gold trim. John served as diesel shop foreman from 1949 until 1953, moved to Charlotte Roadway Shop as assistant general foreman for a year, assistant shop superintendent for two years and superintendent for three years. Construction went quickly, having the advantages that the railway was a single set of slightly elevated tracks, was built almost entirely of wood, and was laid over relatively flat terrain. Handicapped children from three area schools came to ride, he said One teacher told me later she was convinced, by their facial expressions, that two deaf children hear a sound when I blew the Whistle. [2] On 4 June 1846, it hauled the opening train on the Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway, a subsidiary of the S&DR. More times than not, roads were dry and dusty or wet and soggy, undependable whether being traveled by coach, horseback, or foot. The B&O was created by Baltimore The city of San Antonio, Texas was awakening to a new day. The Best Friend Train Museum is located at 23 Ann Street behind the Charleston Area Visitor Center on Meeting Street in . The Best Friend of Charleston made its inaugural run on Christmas Day, December 25, 1830. South Carolina State Museum
Both means of transportation were totally dependent upon weather and temperature conditions. Disassembled for shipment by boat to Charleston, South Carolina, it arrived in October of that year and was unofficially named The Best Friend of Charleston. Between 1892 and 1975, it was on static display at one of the platforms at Darlington Bank Top railway station, and was then on display at the Head of Steam museum based at Darlington North Road railway station between 1975 and 2021. Invitations for community visits are handled through the Public Relations Department, but John visits all new location st check the physical arrangements and to meet the representatives of sponsoring organizations. The only design changes are modern safety features and a slight difference in the width of the axles. By 1821, the economy was better in both port cities, but Charleston realized it was not recovering as quickly as Savannah, its major commercial rival. Charleston determined to gain ground in this long-running trade competition by encouraging cotton farmers in the interior to send their products to the port of Charleston rather than to Savannah. The first commercially-built American steam locomotive, the Best Friend of Charleston, was the first train to offer regular passenger service. In his 2006 book "Railroads of San . Then, tragedy struck. the first commercially operated steamer constructed in America went into John has repeated the tale of the tragic demise of the original Best Friend thousands of times: The train was short-lived. Satisfied the railroad and its star locomotive were ready for service, Allen treated Charlestonians to a Christmas Day spectacle by initiating service on December 25, 1830. It returned economic prosperity to Charleston and it instituted regularly scheduled steam passenger service. Charleston, S.C.: boiler exploded on America's first passenger locomotive, The Best Friend of Charleston, injuring the fireman and the engineer. Upon departing the steam locomotive enshrined itself into the history books as the first ever to pull a regularly scheduled passenger train in the United States. [10] Locomotion always returned to its static display in Darlington,[15] the headquarters of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company. [16] Some in Darlington objected to the move, as the locomotive had resided in Darlington since preservation, and is depicted on the town's coat of arms and on the badges of its football and rugby clubs, and so it is claimed by some that the locomotive is only owned by the NRM due to an accident of history. After arriving disassembled in Charleston it was rebuilt and ready for trails by November 2nd. Learn about the vital importance of Illinois to the nation's railroads and enjoy dinner aboard a train at the Monticello Railway Museum. The first steam engine on the Charleston-Hamburg line, built in December, 1830, for $4,000, was affectionately named "Best Friend of Charleston." Less than six months after its purchase, a worker, objecting to the machinery's loud hissing as it traveled on a revolving platform, closed a safety valve to quiet the noise and caused an explosion . Another full-size replica is on exhibit at the South Carolina State Museum, in Columbia, South Carolina. Locomotives like the Best Friend work by using the pressure produced by steam. Today, an operable replica of the locomotive is in the hands of the Charleston, SC Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. 1were lined up under steam. One is at the Best Friend Museum in Charleston, and the other is at our very own South Carolina State Museum. In 1825 the engine, later called Locomotion, took 450 people 25 miles from Darlington to Stockton at 15 miles per hour. 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