Corliss engine which furnished power for the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.
The Grasshopper locomotive in Carillon Park weighs about 28,900 pounds, cost probably $4,000, and had a theoretical tractive effort of 5,094 pounds.
A modern two-unit Diesel passenger locomotive, on the other hand, weighs 630,000 pounds, costs about $400,000, and has a starting tractive effort of 107,000 pounds. The Grasshopper’s top speed was 15 miles per hour, while most passenger Diesels are geared to about 90 to 100 miles per hour.
The Corliss was for many years the most efficient engine built, but the modern steam turbine gives much greater efficiency at lower cost. The Corliss engine in Carillon Park weighs 210 tons. It occupied 950 square feet of floor area and its maximum output was 800 kilowatts.
The turbo-generator, which replaced it, weighs 44 tons and occupies 200 square feet, but develops 5,000 kilowatts, or more than 25 times as much power per square foot of floor space as the Corliss.