EASTWICK AND HARRISON'S ENGINE, 1837

     This Engine was first worked on the Reading Railroad early in 1839. It had 12" cyls., 18" stroke, and four coupled driving wheels 3 ft. 8 in. in dia. Its whole weight was 12 tons 13 cwt & 1 gr of which 8 tons 1 cwt 2 grs were available for adhesion.

     With steam of 90 lbs press. per sqr. in. the engine drew a load of 265 tons including the tender up a gradient varying from 27 ft. to 38 ft. per mile.

     This engine was built by Eastwick and Harrison of Philadelphia who added compensating levers or equalizers placed so that the weight of the eight wheeled engine was carried upon four points upon the framing and may be considered as the first of a class which has since been generally adopted, not only in America, but on the Continent of Europe and to a considerable extent in Great Britain.

      This engine was built from a design of Sir Daniel Gooch and was built by Messrs. Robert Stephenson and Co. and was one of the first on the Great Western Railroad. It commenced working in Jany. 1838 and ran continuously until Dec. 1870 making a mileage of 429,000 miles.

     The drivers were 7 ft. dia. and were of wrot. iron with round tapering spokes being 2¾" dia. at the hub and 1 7/8" at the rim and set "staggering" on the hub. The front and back wheels were 48" dia. Cylinders 16" x 18" stroke.

     This engine is now carefully preserved at Swindon, the headquarters of the Railroad Company.