- Blücher (locomotive)
Infobox Locomotive Auto
name="Blücher"
powertype=Steam
caption=A 19th Century engraving of the "Blücher"
builddate=1814
builder=George Stephenson
railroad=Killingworth Colliery
boiler=863 mm dia × 2.43 m long
cylindersize=203 mm dia × 609 mm stroke
locobrakes = ?
trainbrakes = None
weight=6 tons
gauge=RailGauge|4ft8in:"This article is about the locomotive "Blücher". See also "Blücher ""Blücher" was an early railway
locomotive built in1814 byGeorge Stephenson for Killingworth Colliery."Blücher" was the first successful locomotive incorporating the following design features:
*Flanged wheels keeping the locomotive on the track
*Traction relying only on the friction of wheels on rails
*Cylinder rods directly connected to the wheels"Blücher" had the ability to pull a train of 30 tons at a speed of 4 mph. It was named after the
Prussia n generalGebhard Leberecht von Blücher , who, after a speedy march, arrived in time to the battle of Waterloo and helped defeat Napoleon. Stephenson was not satisfied with the "Blücher"’s performance, but the lessons learned from its design allowed him to develop the steam blast, which allowed exhaust steam to go up the chimney, pulling air behind it and increasing draught. This greatly improved performance on subsequent models."Blücher" did not survive: Stephenson recycled its parts as he developed more advanced models.
Other early locomotive designs
*"
The Salamanca " byMatthew Murray
*"Puffing Billy" byWilliam Hedley
*"Sans Pareil " byTimothy Hackworth
*"Locomotion No 1 " byRobert Stephenson
*"Stourbridge Lion "
*"Tom Thumb" byPeter Cooper
*"Best Friend of Charleston "
*"John Bull"References
* Herefordshire, " [http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/post-medieval/railways/railway_timeline.htm The History of the Railway in Britain] ". Retrieved
January 25 2006 .
* Monmouthshire Railway Society (Summer 1985), " [http://lionels.orpheusweb.co.uk/RailSteam/GWRBroadG/BGHist.html The Broad Gauge Story] ". RetrievedJanuary 25 2006 .
* " [http://www.sapiensman.com/old_trains/english.htm The Old Times - History of the Locomotive] ". RetrievedJanuary 25 2006 .
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