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West Point (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
West Point was the third steam locomotive
constructed in the United States
.
It was constructed for the South Carolina Railroad by the West Point Foundry
of New York and built to plans from Horatio Allen
.
The locomotive was built in 1830 and shipped to Charleston, South Carolina
on the , arriving there on February 28, 1831 and entering service shortly afterward.
Its frame and running gear were identical to the earlier Best Friend of Charleston
from the same builder, but instead of the Best Friends vertical boiler, the West Point was fitted with a horizontal locomotive boiler.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
constructed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It was constructed for the South Carolina Railroad by the West Point Foundry
West Point Foundry
The West Point Foundry was an early ironworks in Cold Spring, New York that operated from 1817 to 1911. Set up to remedy deficiencies in national armaments production after the War of 1812, it became most famous for its production of Parrott rifles and other munitions during the Civil War, although...
of New York and built to plans from Horatio Allen
Horatio Allen
Horatio Allen LL.D was an American civil engineer and inventor.Born in Schenectady, New York, he graduated from Columbia in 1823, and was appointed the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company chief engineer. In 1828 he was sent to England to buy locomotives for the canal company's projected railway...
.
The locomotive was built in 1830 and shipped to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
on the , arriving there on February 28, 1831 and entering service shortly afterward.
Its frame and running gear were identical to the earlier Best Friend of Charleston
Best Friend of Charleston
The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive. It is widely acclaimed as the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States. It also produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the US.- History :...
from the same builder, but instead of the Best Friends vertical boiler, the West Point was fitted with a horizontal locomotive boiler.