Stourbridge Lion

Stourbridge Lion
The Stourbridge Lion's first run, as depicted by Clyde Osmer DeLand c. 1916
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderFoster, Rastrick and Company
Build date1829
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte0-4-0
Gauge4 ft 3 in (1,295 mm)
Driver dia.48 in (1.219 m)
Loco weight14,000 lb (6,400 kg; 6.4 t)
Tender weight5,800 lb (2,600 kg; 2.6 t)
Total weight19,800 lb (9,000 kg; 9.0 t)[1]
Firebox:
 • Grate area8 sq ft (0.74 m2)
Boiler48 in (1.219 m) dia. 10.5 ft (3.20 m) long
Cylinder size8.5 in × 36 in (216 mm × 914 mm)
dia. x stroke
Career
OperatorsDelaware & Hudson Canal Company (D&H)
First runAugust 8, 1829
Retired1834
Current ownerSmithsonian Institution
DispositionOnly the boiler remains; other parts were scrapped or stolen in the 1800s

The Stourbridge Lion was a railroad steam locomotive. It was the first locomotive and the first foreign built locomotive to be operated in the United States, and one of the first locomotives to operate outside Britain. It takes its name from the lion's face painted on the front, and Stourbridge in England, where it was manufactured by the firm Foster, Rastrick and Company in 1829.[2] The locomotive, obtained by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company (D&H), was shipped to New York in May 1829, where it was tested raised on blocks. It was then taken to Honesdale, Pennsylvania for testing on the company's newly built track. The locomotive performed well in its first test in August 1829, but was found to be too heavy for the track and was never used for its intended purpose of hauling coal wagons. During the next few decades, a number of parts were removed from the abandoned locomotive until only the boiler and a few other components remained. These were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1890 and are currently on display at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

  1. ^ Stourbridge Lion Archived 14 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine, Bridge Line Historical Society
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bailey, Rastrick was invoked but never defined (see the help page).