John Bull & Replica Info
Camden & Amboy Railroad, John Bull Replica.
The Replica of the John Bull wood burning steam engine was built in 1831 in Newcastle, England, by Robert Stephenson & Co. It made it’s home in Bordentown NJ. On November 12th, it pulled it’s first load of cars. It was only a test run, for the railroad was not yet finished.
The Camden & Amboy Started assigning Numbers as well as names to the original engine, as well as to some others the railroad built itself. The First was given No. 1 as well as the name Stevens, in honor of the C & A’s President. But the name didn’t catch on with the crews, who kept referring to the engine as “John Bull” after the English peoples’ Nickname for England herself.
Stevens, also discovered that the drive wheels were made of wood. This was due to the England’s practice of steel topped wooden rails. knowing this would not suit his needs, he designed the steel T type rails still in use today. The wooden drivers had to be recast in steel by the railroad.
In 1869 the C & A RR merged with the New Jersey Railroad & Canals Company. In 1871 the company was “absorbed” by the PRR. In 1883 the PRR displayed the John Bull in the National Railway Appliance Exposition in Chicago. In 1884, the John Bull was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution. In 1893 the PRR borrowed back the John Bull & reconditioned it, so it could make a run to Chicago, to be put on display at the Columbian Exposition. The engine was again used by the PRR in 1927 for the B&O’s Fair of the Iron horse.
Soon it was determined that the John Bull was too fragile an artifact, to be put to fire again. The PRR decided that, rather than keep borrowing the original, a replica could be made. The President of the PRR sent a request to the Altoona shops, to measure every detail of the original, and build an exact replica. In the fall of 1939 the Juniata shops of the PRR started building another John Bull.
It was completed before the end of the year, 108 years after the first one was shipped from England. The replica “stood in” for the original at the 1940 Worlds Fair. After the fair closed in the fall, the Replica was put in storage. It remained there until it was needed for a PRR promotional movie. Then in 1948 it was again taken out of storage, for the Chicago Worlds Fair.
In 1980, on the 150th anniversary of the John Bull, the original was again fired up. In 1982, at the Railroad Museum of PA, in Strasburg, the replica which had been acquired from The PRR, was just starting to be restored to operating condition. By May of 1983, after a tremendous effort by the Museum, Curator, numerous volunteers, and aid from the Smithsonian and the Strasburg Railroad, the Replica was again running under her own power. It was again used in 1995 for the dedication of the new Railroader’s Hall expansion to the railroad Museum. The Pics show the Volunteers running it about the yard. Near the M1b and a Conrail Diesel Locomotive that was lent for the opening of the hall. It was 3 weeks old at the time I took the pics.
So, here you have Two identical locomotives, one built in England, preserved in Washington, DC. The other an exact replica built in Altoona, PA and preserved in Strasburg, PA.
Technical Information:
Drivers, (4) ——— 54”
Width of Loco. —— 7’ 8”
Length —————– 36’ 3 1/2’ (tender included)
Height (top of Stack) -- 11’ 4”
Weight —————– 44,000 Lbs (tender included)
Boiler Pressure —— 60 Lbs
No. of Boiler tubes — 82
Camden & Amboy Railroad, John Bull Replica.
The Replica of the John Bull wood burning steam engine was built in 1831 in Newcastle, England, by Robert Stephenson & Co. It made it’s home in Bordentown NJ. On November 12th, it pulled it’s first load of cars. It was only a test run, for the railroad was not yet finished.
The Camden & Amboy Started assigning Numbers as well as names to the original engine, as well as to some others the railroad built itself. The First was given No. 1 as well as the name Stevens, in honor of the C & A’s President. But the name didn’t catch on with the crews, who kept referring to the engine as “John Bull” after the English peoples’ Nickname for England herself.
Stevens, also discovered that the drive wheels were made of wood. This was due to the England’s practice of steel topped wooden rails. knowing this would not suit his needs, he designed the steel T type rails still in use today. The wooden drivers had to be recast in steel by the railroad.
In 1869 the C & A RR merged with the New Jersey Railroad & Canals Company. In 1871 the company was “absorbed” by the PRR. In 1883 the PRR displayed the John Bull in the National Railway Appliance Exposition in Chicago. In 1884, the John Bull was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution. In 1893 the PRR borrowed back the John Bull & reconditioned it, so it could make a run to Chicago, to be put on display at the Columbian Exposition. The engine was again used by the PRR in 1927 for the B&O’s Fair of the Iron horse.
Soon it was determined that the John Bull was too fragile an artifact, to be put to fire again. The PRR decided that, rather than keep borrowing the original, a replica could be made. The President of the PRR sent a request to the Altoona shops, to measure every detail of the original, and build an exact replica. In the fall of 1939 the Juniata shops of the PRR started building another John Bull.
It was completed before the end of the year, 108 years after the first one was shipped from England. The replica “stood in” for the original at the 1940 Worlds Fair. After the fair closed in the fall, the Replica was put in storage. It remained there until it was needed for a PRR promotional movie. Then in 1948 it was again taken out of storage, for the Chicago Worlds Fair.
In 1980, on the 150th anniversary of the John Bull, the original was again fired up. In 1982, at the Railroad Museum of PA, in Strasburg, the replica which had been acquired from The PRR, was just starting to be restored to operating condition. By May of 1983, after a tremendous effort by the Museum, Curator, numerous volunteers, and aid from the Smithsonian and the Strasburg Railroad, the Replica was again running under her own power. It was again used in 1995 for the dedication of the new Railroader’s Hall expansion to the railroad Museum. The Pics show the Volunteers running it about the yard. Near the M1b and a Conrail Diesel Locomotive that was lent for the opening of the hall. It was 3 weeks old at the time I took the pics.
So, here you have Two identical locomotives, one built in England, preserved in Washington, DC. The other an exact replica built in Altoona, PA and preserved in Strasburg, PA.
Technical Information:
Drivers, (4) ——— 54”
Width of Loco. —— 7’ 8”
Length —————– 36’ 3 1/2’ (tender included)
Height (top of Stack) -- 11’ 4”
Weight —————– 44,000 Lbs (tender included)
Boiler Pressure —— 60 Lbs
No. of Boiler tubes — 82
