The first steam locomotives of Stephenson and Cherepanov appeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The invention of a fundamentally new mechanism marked the beginning of a new era in the field of mechanical engineering. Powerful steam locomotives effectively replaced horse traction, significantly improving the basic characteristics of cargo transportation. Among the innovative designers there are several people who are directly related to the invention of the innovative mechanism. Therefore, it is quite difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question: who invented the steam locomotive and was the first to build it. In order to understand who and when invented the first steam locomotive, it is necessary to carefully study the main stages of its creation.
The very first steam locomotive in the world was designed by R. Trevithick. The creator presented his creation to the public in 1804. The device was designed in such a way that it could be used on an existing factory road made of cast iron. But Trevithick's locomotive was too heavy. The technical capabilities of cast iron rails did not allow the use of a device with a large weight. The invention failed: for its full use, rails made of expensive iron were needed. There were no people willing to invest a significant amount in the creation of a new type of road, in which iron was used instead of cast iron; in addition, the design of the first model was far from perfect and did not inspire confidence.
But the designer did not stop there, and although the next version of the locomotive was unsuccessful, in 1808 Trevithick built a third, more advanced model. To demonstrate the capabilities of the new machine, a short section of the railway was created. The locomotive's speed reached 30 km/h. But the appearance of the first steam locomotive did not make the proper impression on Trevithick’s contemporaries, remaining an outlandish attraction. None of the engineer’s compatriots who visited there believed in the viability of the invention and did not dare to invest money in the development of the invention. And although Trevithick was able to construct the first model of a steam locomotive, it was not developed, and therefore its creator does not enjoy the fame of the inventor of the steam locomotive.
The first steam locomotive to be put into practical use owes its appearance to George Stephenson. The English inventor of the steam locomotive had extensive knowledge that allowed him to create a new mechanism: he studied in detail the structure of machines operating on the energy of released steam, and repeatedly took part in work on the arrangement of railway tracks.
Stephenson is traditionally considered the creator of the first steam locomotive. In the 19th century, before the advent of mechanical devices, carriages moved along laid rails using horse traction. Stephenson's first steam locomotive, designed to travel along existing railroad tracks, appeared in 1814. It was used to tow mine cars.
Until 1828, Stephenson was busy designing steam locomotives. All created models were used over short distances railways ah, belonging to industrial enterprises. The design of the first samples of the 19th century had many significant shortcomings. Their presence excluded the possibility of constructing a fully functioning mechanism. The design required serious modifications.
A significant event in the history of locomotive engineering was the opening of the first locomotive-building enterprise. In 1825, the public became acquainted with Lokomoshen. The innovative mechanism was presented to the general public: the locomotive made an indelible impression on everyone who was present. The qualitative indicators of the use of railway tracks gave a powerful impetus to the process of further creation and development of railway communications and enterprises specializing in the production of steam-powered mechanisms. In 1829, steam locomotive races were held, the winner of which was the “Rocket” model designed by Stephenson, which became the ancestor of all subsequent models of steam locomotives. Its carrying capacity was 13 tons, maximum speed movement – 48 km/h. Stephenson's locomotive at the races aroused great interest among all who were present. The Rocket not only won the race, it unconditionally proved the superiority of steam power over other energy sources existing in the 19th century.
The Russian inventor of the steam locomotive was not alone. The first to create a steam locomotive in our country were the Cherepanov brothers. The first steam locomotive in Russia was produced in 1833. From that moment on, the official history of the steam locomotive, which was of Russian origin, began.
The first steam locomotives of Stephenson and Cherepanov became increasingly popular and confidently conquered new heights. At this time it began to appear a large number of powerful steam locomotives, the use of which became one of the most significant achievements of the 19th century.
The first Russian steam locomotive of the Cherepanovs successfully passed tests in 1834. A few years later, a second version of the mechanical device was designed, which differed from the first model in the size of the boiler, which made it possible to increase the power of the machine. Cherepanov had to stop experiments with the first models of steam locomotives after a short period of time: interested parties involved in transporting goods using horse traction, for whom the appearance of a powerful mechanism was unprofitable, initiated the dismantling of the test track.
The first steam locomotives of the Cherepanov brothers, which have excellent specifications for cars of the 19th century, marked the beginning of the dynamic development of railways. After the test track was dismantled, active work began on the construction of the railway from Tsarskoe Selo to St. Petersburg, officially opened in 1837. The successful testing of the first Russian steam locomotive qualitatively changed the public's attitude towards freight transportation.
The establishment of railway communication in the country took place under the leadership of Franz Gersner. The Austrian engineer was familiar in detail with the basic parameters of the German and Belgian railways, which he considered imperfect: the standard gauge established in these countries, in his opinion, did not allow the design of models of steam locomotives with the most efficient characteristics. For Russian railways, a wider gauge was chosen, and trains produced in England and Belgium were modified to meet its parameters.
Initially, the first steam locomotives of Stephenson and Cherepanov received proper names. Much later in Russia they began to be designated using letters and numbers. The invention of the first steam locomotive is an event that completely changed the attitude towards the transportation of passengers and various goods. Powerful mechanisms could transport large amounts of cargo over long distances, reducing the time required for transportation. Passenger transportation has become much more efficient and of better quality. The first steam locomotives of Stephenson and Cherepanov represent an important achievement that marked the beginning of an entire era of industrial progress. Today, an original reminder of the works of Stephenson and the Cherepanovs will be a stylish tabletop device depicting the first steam locomotive.
On the evening of July 31, 1821, merchant Edward Spence set out for the English port of Hull to meet the barque Cottingham. On it, as he was informed, an envoy from the Ural mining company Demidov would arrive with an important assignment, which would now be called industrial intelligence. In the boat that brought the passengers ashore, sat a bearded man in long black clothes, a blouse and a cap.
“The giver of this, Efim Cherepanov, a craftsman at His Excellency’s ironworks, is recommended to your kind attention... His Excellency wishes Cherepanov to inspect in particular the ironworks and mines of your country, and therefore be kind enough to provide him with all possible assistance in inspecting these enterprises. In English he doesn’t know,” the bearded red-haired man was accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the Demidovs’ St. Petersburg office.
A week later, Spence sent a confused response letter there:
“Dear sirs! Your kind message was handed to me by Cherepanov, whose long beard had unfortunate consequences and attracted attention, as you can see from the attached newspaper. He was mistaken for a spy, and I am afraid that his suspicious appearance and this publication, which will be read in all industrial areas, may prevent him from gaining access to many noteworthy and important factories..."
They haven't worn beards in England for three hundred years - since the times of the Tudors. And Efim Cherepanov was an Old Believer. His ancestors fled beyond the Ural Mountains from the Vologda region from religious repression. Descendants to this day preserve the iconographic appearance of the faces of immigrants from the Russian North.
The British refused to show the drawings to the bearded "scout". He assessed the strange locomotive “closely.” And he categorically did not like him:
I saw the steam engine Mereya, which transports coal at a time of 2 thousand poods at a distance of four miles three times a day, wrote Efim Cherepanov in his report on the business trip. “This machine is extremely outlandish, but for us it is worthless for the reason that the English craftsmen want to get to work quickly, but their machines do not last long, and then they often need to be repaired.”
But the craftsman got stuck...
“These machines are not needed for iron and copper factories, although steam engines, if It pleases Their Excellency, can be started and attached to any action.”
And they started it. And they installed it. But this did not happen soon.
1774 Nizhny Tagil
Efim Cherepanov was born into the family of a serf-laborer. There are nine children in the family, all of whom have a clear and short future in the “Demidov empire” - from “give and bring” firewood at the age of eight to death at forty, coughing up lungs clogged with coal dust.
However, the father miraculously managed to get the boy into a workshop for making bellows. He turned out to be inquisitive and handy. And he steadily began to climb up, as they would say today, on a social elevator. At 20 years old - a master. At 33 - the main dam, first of one, and then of all nine Demidov Nizhny Tagil plants. At the same time, on his own initiative, he organized a “mechanical establishment” - a design and testing bureau. Here, for the first time, he built a small, two-man-power, steam engine that powered the machines...
In fact, Efim Cherepanov stood at the origins of Russian mechanical engineering.
My son, Miron, grew up just in time, just as red-haired and just as indefatigable at work. When Efim was appointed chief mechanic of the Tagil factories, his son became an assistant. Together they built and “put into operation” 25 steam engines - for pumping water from mines, washing gold, rolling iron...
But the main business of their lives was the “steam cart” for transporting ore from the mine to the plant.
1833 England
Twelve years after his father, Myron is also sent to England. He is wearing a caftan, a cap with a lacquered visor - the usual costume of a master. He, of course, has a beard. And he also hands over a letter of recommendation to Spence, already known to us: they say, we are sending him for experience:
Cherepanov - the son, as you can tell by the color of his hair, of the Cherepanov you had in 1821... Cherepanov did not want to follow our advice and let his beard be shaved. Try to convince him to do it."
Needless to say, Spence’s second attempt also failed?
But Miron, like his father, did not manage to look at the drawings: the British guarded the secrets of their steam engines better than their eyes; until 1841, the state forbade their export abroad. Myron complained about “difficulties both due to ignorance of the language and the ability to see the internal layout of machines in action.”
But neither he nor his father could be stopped.
1834 Nizhny Tagil
They built the locomotive for almost six months, in their free time from work - as a hobby. Despite the order from the authorities “to give the Cherepanovs a way to arrange steam carts for transporting heavy loads,” the Tagil clerks did not relieve the craftsmen from their numerous duties. Along the way, rails were laid along Podsaraynaya Street, which was soon renamed Parokhodnaya (as it is still called today). A barn was built for the "overland Dilijan" - the first Russian depot...
And in early September 1834 the main work was completed.
"They're opening!" - someone shouted in the crowd. The heavy gates slowly opened..., - we read a report in the May issue of the St. Petersburg "Mining Journal" for 1835: - Another minute of waiting, and a land steamer appeared in the frame of the gate - an unprecedented machine, unlike anything else, with a tall smoking chimney, sparkling with polished bronze parts. Miron Cherepanov stood on the platform at the handles. The steamer rolled past the silent crowd..."
No “all the people rejoice and rejoice.” He, discouraged, remains silent.
For the construction of steam engines, which “bring honor both to their builder, a simple practical factory worker Cherepanov, and to the Demidovs, who gave him the opportunity to further improve himself,” Efim was awarded a silver medal “For Useful.” The Emperor deigned to approve the award at his highest level. Along with the medal, Efim and his wife received freedom. Three years later, Miron was freed from serfdom. Glory and freedom came to the Cherepanovs.
And their beloved brainchild fell out of favor...
Along the cast-iron 400-fathom (854 meters) road they began to transport ore from the mine to the plant and give rides to distinguished guests. But Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, the future Emperor Alexander II, could not be persuaded to go on a trip: he did not even get out of the carriage, looked at the puffing steam locomotive, and asked: “Who arranged it?” - and left. And the Tagil authorities were, to put it mildly, distrustful of the innovation: firstly, the locomotive took away bread from tax farmers who were well fed on transportation, and secondly, it required qualified personnel. When repairs were required, they decided that it was “too costly” (expensive), and the locomotive was replaced with horses. So the horses dragged the trolleys with ore along the Cherepanovsky rails...
And the Cherepanovs’ first-born, on whom they even decorated a chimney with a figured grille, was not sent to the St. Petersburg Industrial Exhibition at the last moment. Who knows, if their locomotive (which cost 1,500 rubles) had been shown in the capital, they wouldn’t have had to buy exorbitant foreign ones (47.5 thousand rubles each)...
Thus, Cherepanov’s “Dilijan” sank into obscurity. Three steam locomotives, built by father and son, rusted ingloriously after being thrown off the rails on which the horse-drawn carriage had been launched. The St. Petersburg-Moscow railway is considered to be the first in Russia, along which “all the people are having fun and rejoicing.” And the locomotives for which were purchased in England.
Four years after the St. Petersburg exhibition, at the height of the railway “fever” in Russia, the Ural mining manufacturer Anatoly Demidov was brought a project to create a rail-rolling production. Resolution of the Owner: this is impossible, since “in the Nizhny Tagil factories there are no specialists in the construction of steam locomotives...”
What was it like for Miron Cherepanov, who briefly outlived his father, to hear this...
1842 Nizhny Tagil
Efim Cherepanov burned to death at work at the age of 68. He asked to resign many times “due to old age.” The petition was considered for three years, but no decision was made. Efim Alekseevich “died of apoplexy, having left on the eve of his death on official business,” said a report from the plant management. And six years later, “mechanic Miron Cherepanov, who served at the factories for about 34 years, died after an illness, who worked on many mechanical devices, and also provided important services for the reconstruction of factory dams, which were carried out under his supervision and leadership.” He was 46.
It is unknown where the graves of father and son are.
A LOOK THROUGH THE YEARS
Locomotive Cemetery
Locomotive Cemetery.
Rusty hulls.
The pipes are full of oblivion,
the voices are screwed up.
Like the collapse of consciousness -
stripes and circles.
Terrible furnaces of death.
Dead levers.
The thermometers are broken:
numbers and glass -
the dead don't need
measure,
do they have heat?
The dead don't need
vision -
eyes crushed out.
Time gave you
eternal brakes.
In your carriages
long
the doors won't knock
the woman won't laugh
the soldier won't sing.
Whirlwind of sand at night
won't bring the booth in.
Young man with a soft rag
will not wipe off the pistons.
They won't get hot anymore
your grate bars.
Five-year-old mammoths
knocked off their fangs.
These palaces of metal
built a labor union:
mechanics and miners,
villages and cities.
Take off your hat, comrade.
These are the days of war.
Rust on iron
your cheeks are pale.
No need to pronounce
none of the words.
Hatred silently brews
love blooms silently.
There's only iron here.
Let it teach everyone.
Slow and calm
The first snow falls.
Yaroslav Smelyakov
D a year ago, for the 180th anniversary of the steam locomotive, the entire Nizhny Tagil glued colored trains out of paper in memory of the Cherepanovs: museum workers wanted to arrange a colorful installation. A train of 240 locomotives was planned - according to the number of years from the birth of Efim Alekseevich. The townspeople brought 1827...They were lined up along the street on which the Cherepanovs' house stands and where their beloved little "steamer" once chugged along the rails.
The beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Europe is associated with the invention of the steam engine, initially used in the mining and weaving industries. The ingenious invention prompted many engineers to adapt it for transport needs. The topic of the article is the world's first steam locomotive and Interesting Facts associated with its appearance.
Prerequisites
The water pump has been known to mankind since antiquity. Several centuries had to pass before it learned to use steam energy, oh practical application which was first spoken by the great Leonardo da Vinci. Single steam engines created at the end of the 17th century - the steam boiler of the Frenchman Denis Papin (1680), the pump of the Englishman Thomas Severi (1898) - were a real curiosity.
The creation of a safe piston engine into which water was injected is associated with the name of an Englishman (1711). The improvement of these inventions brought the Glasgow mechanic James Watt worldwide fame. It was he who received a patent for the creation of a steam engine (1769), suitable for widespread use in production.
The world's first steam locomotive will be created after a fundamental invention: the separation of the main cylinder and the condenser, which made it possible not to waste energy on constant heating of the engine. The production of steam engines was put on stream in 1776 thanks to the advent of lathes, milling and planing machines.
By 1785, 66 engines had been built. However, to impart rotational motion to the working shaft, a double action was necessary. Watt patented it in 1784, and by 1800 it was already used in all branches of production, powering other machines.
Richard Trevithick
Who invented the first steam locomotive in the world? One of the first to try to use a steam engine for transport needs was the Frenchman Nicolas Cugnot, who created a self-propelled carriage (1769). At this time, Richard Trevithick had not even been born.
A native of Cornwall (England), a famous mining region, the future inventor was born in large family in 1771. His father was a respected miner, and Richard, who loved mathematics from childhood, tried to make work underground easier by improving steam engines and mining pumps. In 1801, for the needs of the enterprise, he created a cart - the prototype of the first bus, which later became widespread as an independent type of transport. It was a trackless steam locomotive (patented in 1802) called the Puffing Devil.
If Watt's engines were bulky due to the use of steam low pressure, then R. Trevithick was not afraid to increase it several times (up to 8 atmospheres). The power remained the same, but the engine size was significantly reduced, which was important for the development of transport. Watt reacted extremely negatively to this, considering high blood pressure unsafe.
Tests
Cast iron rails were created in South Wales; the inventor himself lived in Cambourne at that time. Trevithick experimentally proved that when smooth wheels come into contact with smooth rails, a frictional force will arise sufficient to move a steam locomotive, even if wagons loaded with coal are attached to it. This was very important given the practical goals of the enterprises.
For industrial needs, the first steam locomotive in the world was built in the year preceding its testing (1803). They were written about in February 1804, reporting the use of the invented machine to transport 10 tons of iron. The self-propelled carriage on rails covered a distance of 9 miles, and as it moved, the weight of the load increased to 15 tons - about 70 people risked climbing up to ride to the approving roar of the crowd. The speed was 5 miles per hour, and there was no need to add water to the boiler. But the too bulky locomotive could not be widespread, so Trevithick continued to improve the design.
Catch Me Who Can
For the new model, called Catch Me Who Can, Trevithick is building a ring road out of rails on the outskirts of London. He believes that the manufacturers will be interested new car. Having surrounded the test site with a high fence, he even begins to sell entrance tickets to those who want to ride, hoping to cover costs and make a profit. The new engine allowed it to reach speeds of up to 30 km/h.
But the idea was not successful. The world's first steam locomotive for passengers, created for entertainment, did not attract the attention of industrialists. Due to a burst cast iron rail, it overturned, receiving serious damage. Trevithick did not even bother to restore it, focusing on other inventions. In 1816, he left for Peru to install his engines in local mines.
The fate of Trevithick: interesting facts
Until 1827, the outstanding inventor remained in South America. Returning to the country, he discovered that his achievements had been successfully used and developed by other engineers. He died in 1833, almost penniless. The main problem What prevented his ideas from being realized at the turn of the century was the lack of roads. He spent his fortune clearing special routes for steam carriages, freeing them from trees and stones.
The very first steam locomotive in the world led to an appeal to the English Parliament for legislators to ban engines using steam. high pressure. The law was not passed, but it still stopped Trevithick's development.
Watt brought charges against his student for stealing ideas for creating a steam engine from the Botton and Watt company. This caused a huge scandal, forcing Trevithick to defend his good name.
Only in the 20s were conditions created for steam transport. This is associated with the name of George Stephenson.
Opening of a public railway
During Trevithick's lifetime, in 1825, a railway was opened connecting Stockton and Darlington. Self-taught engineer George Stephenson came up with a convenient design that allowed a locomotive to pull a heavy train along smooth rails. In his invention, the rails themselves played an important role, the gauge of which is still generally accepted in Western Europe (1435 mm). The locomotive was driven by Stephenson himself during the opening of the railway, followed by a cavalcade of horsemen who fell behind during the descent. The crowd's amazement knew no bounds. The speed was 24 km/h.
Stephenson created the world's first steam locomotive for public needs in 1814. He covered a distance of 30 km, and by the middle of the century, all of Europe was covered with a network of railways. Steam locomotives began to transport not only goods, but also people.
In Soviet Union long time it was claimed that the steam locomotive was invented by Stephenson and the Russians Cherepanovs. The father and son allegedly did this regardless Western Europe. In fact, Miron Cherepanov visited England, where he saw the structure on rails. Returning to the Vyisky plant, he tried to copy what he saw, but it still took two years to develop his idea. The world's first steam locomotive on rails was tested in 1804 (many consider this date to be the birthday of the steam locomotive), and the “land steamship” appeared in Russia in 1833.
It was used to transport ore until the entire forest in the surrounding area was destroyed. Locomotives were replaced by horse-drawn ones, remembering the invention two years later.
This is interesting
There is a statue in Cambourne of Richard Trevithick holding his first trackless cart, called the Sniffling Devil. The model can be seen in many museums dedicated to the history of steam locomotive construction. Where is the world's first steam locomotive located?
One day the inventor stopped at the tavern, forgetting to reduce the fire that maintained the temperature of the boiler. When the water boiled away, the cart caught fire. A few minutes were enough for her to disappear. However, this did not upset the resilient Trevithick, who continued to work on new inventions.
His burial place, unfortunately, has been lost, but the name of the talented engineer is inscribed in golden letters in world history.
History of invention. LocomotiveThe idea of using steam for transport needs arose back in the 17th century. At first they tried to adapt steam engines to ordinary carts or carts. Steam carriages were designed to travel on a straight road without rails. In 1763, the French engineer Cogneau built the first steam carriage. This machine only worked for 12-15 minutes. In 1769 (or 1770) Cognot built a more advanced carriage, but when it was launched through the streets of Paris, it turned out to be impossible to drive.
In 1787, the American Evans invented another steam carriage, but it was so imperfect that it could not be used in practice.
At the end of the 80s of the XVIII century. William Murdoch, a student and assistant of James Watt, created a steam carriage with an engine designed by his teacher. He built a row interesting models steam carts, but make it practically usable transport vehicle he also failed.
William Murdoch. Portrait by John Graham Gilbert
In general, until the end of the 18th century. attempts to harness steam power for propulsion purposes were unsuccessful. And it was not just that at that time it was technically impossible to solve this problem. The introduction of steam to transport was greatly hampered by the inert, biased attitude of most of the society that had barely emerged from the depths of feudalism towards the very idea of artificially increasing the speed of human movement. From the point of view of church morality, this seemed “sinful.” Inventors tried to make some “improvements” and “corrections” in the “divine providence”, which determined that a person should walk on two legs or, in extreme cases, resort to the services of horses. Any other method of transportation was considered by the clergy as “an unholy attempt to improve the creation of the creator.” People who engaged in such reprehensible activities were declared accomplices of the devil. If we consider that the church enjoyed enormous influence in England and to a certain extent shaped public opinion, it becomes clear that technicians and mechanics, who, together with the “enemy of the human race” encroached on the “divine institution,” had a very difficult time in the “pious” English society end of the 18th century
William Murdoch suffered a lot of persecution from his fellow citizens. He built a small three-wheeled cart and tested it one night on one of the less traveled roads near the city.
When the water in the boiler of the steam engine began to boil, the cart, unexpectedly for the inventor, rushed along the road alone, and developed such a speed that the inventor was unable to catch up with it. At this time, a local priest was passing along the street. Seeing a luminous and whistling object rushing towards him, the priest imagined that he was seeing the devil himself in front of him. He raised a cry, to which people came running. The inventor approached and tried to explain the secret of his “devil,” but no one listened to him. The cart was immediately broken, and its creator barely escaped from the angry crowd. From then on, Murdoch's reputation as a man who knew evil spirits. Every God-fearing ignorant considered it his duty to harm Murdoch with all his might. More than once his fellow citizens broke his car models, interfered with his experiments, turned his friends against him, and scared almost all his acquaintances away from the inventor. A similar fate befell other inventors.
However, developing capitalist production persistently demanded the reconstruction of vehicles. IN early XIX V. In many countries, work was carried out to improve the so-called steam cart, in other words, to create a steam car.
Interesting experiments were carried out by the Czech mechanic Joseph Bozek (1782-1832). In 1815, He built a steam cart, which was successfully tested. But attempts to repeat the experiments in 1817 with a more powerful machine did not give satisfactory results. It should be noted that in general the problem of creating a steam car was never solved. The car was created only on the basis of an internal combustion engine.
Many inventors during this era tried to build a locomotive that moved on rails. Especially great importance To create railway transport, the work of the Scottish engineer and mechanic Richard Trevithick (1771 - 1833) was the first to come up with the idea of using steam locomotives on specially constructed rail tracks.
Portrait of Richard Trevithick
In 1803 Trevithick designed a steam locomotive for the rail track, and in February 1804 he carried out its first test.
This an important event in the history of transport technology, it was described in one English newspaper: “The day before yesterday the long-awaited test of Mr. Trevithick’s newly invented steam engine took place... The test exceeded, to everyone’s amazement, everything that the most ardent supporters expected from it. In this case... the machine was used to transport up to 10 tons of strip iron over a distance of over 9 miles; It should be noted that the weight of the load quickly increased from 10 to 15 tons thanks to no less than 70 people who climbed onto the carts. Pushed by an invincible curiosity, they were eager to take a ride, taking advantage of the first success of the inventor's talents... The car made its journey without replenishing the boiler with water and moved freely at a speed of 5 miles per hour... "
Trevithick steam locomotive
Subsequently, Trevithick managed to achieve even greater speed, and the locomotive pulled an entire train of five trolleys, with a total weight of about 25 tons. Trevithick's steam locomotive was the first rail locomotive in the world. It had one horizontally located steam cylinder. The movement of the piston was transmitted by the driving wheel of the locomotive using a connecting rod, crank and a system of gear wheels. To facilitate the passage of the connecting rod through the dead spots, Trevithick used a flywheel. The locomotive weighed 6 tons. Its boiler had a cylindrical shape and a reverse flame tube, and the firebox was located in the front part of the locomotive.
A big difficulty during experiments with the first steam locomotive was that the track, which consisted of fragile cast-iron rails, was not suitable for the movement of such a heavy locomotive. Therefore, there were frequent delays due to broken rails. The locomotive was eventually taken off the rails and used as a stationary machine.
After three years of hard work on improving the locomotive and track, Trevithick built the world's first experimental ring road in London. By building it, the inventor set out to popularize his invention in order to gain financial support.
Trevithick steam locomotive and ring road attraction for its demonstration
Contemporary newspapers for Trevithick described the railway as follows: “The most amazing machine that has ever been invented is a steam engine on four wheels, designed in such a way that it will gallop freely and without any outside help in a circle at a speed of 15 20 miles per hour. She weighs 8 tons and at the next races in New Market she will compete with three horses in a race within 24 hours, starting at the same time as them...”
Somewhat later, Trevithick opened a small ring railway for public use near one of the London squares. Anyone could inspect the locomotive and the trailers attached to it. The ring road operated for several weeks, then the rails burst and the locomotive overturned. Trevithick, who spent all his money on building the road, was unable to repair the track and put the locomotive on the rails. Eventually Trevithick was forced to stop work on creating new locomotives.
However, other inventors continued to work on the creation of new locomotives. During the period from 1803 to 1814, many very diverse models of rail locomotives appeared. During this period, the inventors Blenkinson, Murray, the Champey brothers, Brenton, Hadley and others worked in the field of steam locomotive construction in England.
In 1814, George Stephenson (1781-1848) designed and tested his first steam locomotive, which basically solved the problem of creating steam railway transport.
Stephenson came from a working-class background. His father and grandfather worked in the coal mines near Newcastle, the center of the English coal industry. Stephenson spent his youth working in coal mines. Self-taught, with great persistence, he studied mechanics, physics and many other sciences. In parallel with his studies, he worked on the invention of various machines and mechanisms.
Stephenson named his first steam locomotive "Blücher", in honor of Napoleon's winner at Waterloo. "Blücher" repeated in its design many features of the steam locomotives of previous inventors.
Steam locomotive "Blücher", 1814
Stephenson's first locomotive was very heavy, moved slowly, worked with little productivity, but continuously (in other locomotives there were constant stoppages in work). Subsequently, Stephenson continued to work on improving the design of his locomotive.
Stephenson steam locomotive built for the Hetton Mines in 1822 and operated until 1903.
Until 1825, he built about 16 different locomotives, persistently seeking the most acceptable design. Stephenson paid a lot of attention to improving the rail track.
Before 1825, steam locomotives were used primarily on small private roads, usually serving the needs of mines or factories. The emergence of more advanced designs of steam locomotives stimulated the construction of new railway lines. In 1818, a 61 km railway line was built between the cities of Stockton and Darlingt, designed to transport coal. In 1825 the Stockton-Darlington line was opened to the public. This made a tremendous impression on his contemporaries.
“The scene that took place on the morning of September 27, 1825 defies any description,” one of the directors of this road later wrote. “Many who took part in this historical event did not close their eyes and were on their feet all night. General cheerfulness and cheerfulness, the happy faces of many, amazement and fear on the faces of others diversified the picture.
At the appointed hour the procession set off. At the head of the train was a steam locomotive, driven by its builder, Stephenson; The locomotive was followed by 6 wagons with coal and flour; after them - a carriage with directors and owners of the road; then 20 coal cars, adapted for passengers and filled with them, and, finally, 6 cars loaded with coal... A large crowd of people stood on both sides of the track; many ran after the train; others on horseback followed him along the sides of the path. The latter had a slight slope towards Darlington, and at this point Stephenson decided to test the speed of the train... He increased the speed to 15 miles per hour. When the train arrived at Darlington it was found that there were 450 passengers in the carriages and that the weight of the train was 90 tons."
The new railway quickly showed the advantages of the new type of transport over the old methods of transportation. The popularity of rail transport in England was growing. Numerous inventors worked to create and improve new types of locomotives. In 1829, a competition was announced to create the best steam locomotive. Stephenson presented his new locomotive, the famous “Rocket,” to the competition. "Rocket" had a machine with a power of 13 hp. With. All types of locomotives were tested at the competition. “The Battle of Steam Locomotives,” as this competition was called, ended with the victory of “Rocket,” which freely pulled a train weighing 17 tons at a speed of up to 21 km per hour. The speed of a steam locomotive with one passenger carriage and 36 passengers was 38 km per hour.
Diagram of the steam locomotive D. Stephenson "Rocket"
"Rocket" was the most advanced locomotive of that time. The inventor adapted a tubular boiler that had just appeared at that time to the steam locomotive, which made it possible to significantly increase the speed of the locomotive. “Rocket” was built taking into account all the achievements of locomotive engineering of its time. It was, as it were, the result of the initial period of development of the locomotive.
In 1830, a 45 km long railway between Liverpool and Manchester was opened for passenger traffic in England. In the same year, the first Charleston-Augusta railway line, 64 in length, was built in the United States; km. The first railway was built in France in 1832, in Belgium and Germany in 1835, and in Russia and Austria in 1837.
The first steam locomotive in Russia was built at the Nizhny Tagil plant in the Urals in August 1834 by remarkable Russian mechanics, serfs Efim Alekseevich Cherepanov (1774-1842) and his son Miron Efimovich Cherepanov (1803-1849).
E. F. Cherepanov
M. E. Cherepanov
The Cherepanovs' steam locomotive carried a train weighing 3.3 tons at a speed of 13 to 16 km per hour. To increase steam generation, the Cherepanovs installed a smoke-fired boiler on the locomotive with a larger number of tubes than in the Stephenson locomotive, and also used a special mechanism reverse. Following the first steam locomotive, the Cherepanovs built a second, more powerful steam locomotive in 1835. “Mining Journal” wrote in July 1835 that the second Cherepanov locomotive “can carry up to 1000 pounds of cargo.”
Model of the first steam locomotive by E. A. and M. E. Cherepanov
However, the wonderful machines of the Cherepanovs were not used for the development of railway transport in our country. Their fate was similar to the fate of Polzunov's steam engine.
Unfortunately, the first Steam engine Russia turned out to be unreliable. She often broke down. In total, she worked for just over 42 days.
Model of Polzunov's steam engine
In 1834, i.e. just at the time when the Cherepanovs were building their locomotives, the Austrian professor Gerstner came to Russia. Gerstner managed to obtain from the Tsar the privilege to build a railway between St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo with a length of 27 km. This railway was opened in 1837. Despite the domestic experience in steam locomotive building, the tsarist government preferred to order steam locomotives from England, refusing to use locomotives created by the Cherepanovs.
In 1851, the two-track St. Petersburg-Moscow railway was built in Russia.
TO mid-19th V. The pace of construction of public railways with steam traction is increasing more and more. From 1840 to 1870, i.e. in 30 years, the length of railways around the world increased 14 times.
As a result of the Industrial Revolution, railroads stimulated the growth of important industries. A new branch of mechanical engineering has emerged - transport engineering. Under the influence of the ever-increasing demand of the railways, the metallurgical and coal industries began to develop rapidly.
The history of the invention of the steam locomotive has many controversial issues. It is known that the first attempts to create steam self-propelled machines were a cart on a wooden frame. It was driven by a simple steam boiler and an engine with vertical cylinders, thanks to which the wheels rotated. Despite the fact that Joseph Cugnot is considered the author of the first machines, he did not have to put his invention on rails.
Richard Trevithick
The first to invent a steam locomotive was Richard Trevithick, an engineer from England, who in 1801 first thought through the design of new steam boilers - light and practical, and then patented the world's first steam locomotive, the Puffing Devil. Distinctive feature This model had good technical characteristics, but its production was discontinued due to a shortage of steel from which the rails had to be made, because the cast iron rails simply could not cope with the enormous weight of the vehicle and sagged. 
7 years later, Trevithick developed a more advanced machine design, capable of moving at speeds of up to 30 km/h. The name “Catch Me Who Can” was not given to this model by chance: in London there were whole competitions in the speed of a car with horses.
Followers of Trevithick
The first steam locomotives in the world were heavy and could not always move on too smooth rails. Therefore, inventors after Trevithick sought to come up with various means that would improve the adhesion of wheels to rails. So, in 1811, William Barton built a new steam engine with three pairs of wheels. The innovation of his approach was the teeth that were equipped with the middle wheels. They were needed to engage with the teeth of the rack laid along the tracks. Of course, the device moved smoothly along the rails, but it created such noise that it had to be abandoned and the teeth replaced with levers on hinges. However, this solution also did not take root.Another version of the steam locomotive was created by mechanic Forster and blacksmith Hackworth - their machine was called "Puffing Billy", which was explained by the loud noise when releasing steam. The design turned out to be successful, since most of the elements were recreated by analogy with Trevithick’s first model.
In 1813, the Blücher steam locomotive was built, which was invented by George Stephenson. True, he had to work hard to make his vehicle perfect, and it achieved perfection only in 1816, when the third version was released, capable of carrying trains weighing up to 50 tons, reaching a speed of 10 km/h.
Cherepanovs
While steam locomotives were already beginning to travel around the world, in Russia the movement of people between cities was carried out on horse-drawn stagecoaches. The history of steam locomotive building in our country was started by Efim and Miron Cherepanov, the creators of the first Russian steam locomotive. Already in 1830 they began to work on their machine. The “steamboat Dilijan”—that’s what the Cherepanovs called their creation—was ready in 1834. The “iron miracle,” frightening those around him, moved on cast iron rails, was designed to transport ore, and reached speeds of up to 15 km/h.The Cherepanovs were the first to create a steam locomotive in Russia, but their machine was not in demand, and most models were purchased abroad. By 1880, the number of steam units in our country increased significantly, although their production occupied only a third of the market. But it is believed that it was our engineers who were able to destroy England’s monopoly on their production. The era of steam locomotives lasted until the 50s of the 20th century, and the created vehicles were in use as early as the 70s. Today you can see the first steam locomotives only in museums.