Figure 51.—Photo, taken about 1887, of Rocket as it appeared during final stages of its life as P & R locomotive No. 1. Note absence of builder’s plate.
The Rocket was constructed as a wood burner, but in 1862 was modified to burn anthracite coal. At that time it was also converted into a tank locomotive, a cab was added, and, it is now thought, the original wheels were replaced by the standard Philadelphia and Reading wheels shown in [figure 51]. Its present wheels, undoubtedly installed when the locomotive was refurbished in 1893, are 49½ inches in diameter and contain 20 round metal spokes staggered around the hub. Published descriptions of the Rocket refer to 41¾-inch wheels, but this figure probably applies to an earlier set, possibly that installed in 1862. The Rocket was formerly driven by all four wheels, but today only the rear two wheels are drivers.
The cylinders of the locomotive, which are inside, have a 10½-inch bore and a 16-inch stroke. The wheelbase is 58 inches and the weight was originally 8.4 tons. This was raised during the 1862 rebuilding to 11.8 tons. The gauge is standard—56½ inches. The present smokestack is not original, and a headlight was not installed until recent years. The tank and cab added in 1862, as well as the bell, were removed at the time of the refurbishment.
After its retirement in 1879, the Rocket stood neglected at Reading until it was placed in condition for exhibition and permanent preservation at the time of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. It was exhibited in 1904 at St. Louis, and then was housed for many years in the Reading’s Columbia Avenue station in Philadelphia. It appeared at the Fair of the Iron Horse in 1927 ([figure 52]), after which it was taken to the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia. In October 1933 the Rocket was lent to The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where it has since remained on exhibition.
Figure 52.—Rocket at the Fair of the Iron Horse, October 7, 1927. Note shortened smokestack.
A Canadian Relic
Figure 53.—Photo of Samson, built in England in 1838 by Hackworth, taken in Nova Scotia by a New Glasgow photographer some time before 1890. Observe chairs provided for engineer.