The beginning of the industrial revolution in Europe was associated with the invention of a steam engine, originally used in the mining and weaving industries. The ingenious invention prompted many engineers to adapt it for transport needs. The topic of the article is the world's first steam locomotive and interesting facts related to its appearance.
Background
The water pump has been known to mankind since antiquity. Several centuries had to pass for it to learn how to use the energy of steam, the practical application of which the great Leonardo da Vinci first spoke about. The only steam engines created at the end of the 17th century - the steam boiler of the Frenchman Denis Papen (1680), the pump of the Englishman Thomas Severi (1898) - were a real curiosity.
The creation of a safe piston engine into which water was injected is connected with the name of the Englishman Thomas Newcomen (1711). The refinement of these inventions brought Glasgow mechanics to James Watt world-famous. It was he who received a patent for the creation of a steam engine (1769), suitable for widespread use in production.
The world's first steam locomotive will be created after a fundamental invention: the separation of the main cylinder and the condenser, which allowed us not to expend energy on the constant heating of the engine. The manufacture of steam engines was put on stream in 1776 thanks to the advent of turning, milling and planing machines.
By 1785, 66 engines were built. However, in order to impart rotational motion to the working shaft, a double-acting steam engine was needed. Watt patented it in 1784, and by 1800 it was already used in all industries, driving other machines.
Richard Trevitik
Who invented the first steam engine in the world? One of the first to try to use a steam engine for transport purposes was the Frenchman Nicola Cugnio, who created a self-propelled crew (1769). At this time, Richard Trevitik had not even been born.
A native of Cornwall (England), a famous mining district, the future inventor was born into a large family in 1771. His father was a respected miner, and Richard, who had loved mathematics since childhood, tried to facilitate the work underground, improving steam engines and mining pumps. In 1801, for the needs of the enterprise, he created a wagon - a prototype of the first bus, which later became widespread as an independent mode of transport. It was a trackless steam locomotive (1802nd patent year), named Puffing Devil.
If Watt's engines were bulky due to the use of low-pressure steam, then R. Trevitik was not afraid to increase it several times (up to 8 atmospheres). The power remained the same, but the size of the engine was significantly reduced, which was important for the development of transport. Watt reacted extremely negatively, considering high pressure unsafe.
Test
In South Wales, cast-iron rails were created, the inventor himself at that time lived in Cambourne. By experience, Trevitik proved that when smooth wheels come in contact with smooth rails, friction force will appear that is sufficient for the steam locomotive to move, even if coal-loaded wagons are attached to it. This was very important given the practical goals of enterprises.
For industrial needs, the first steam locomotive in the world was built in the year preceding its testing (1803). English newspapers wrote about them in February 1804, reporting the use of the invented machine to transport 10 tons of iron. A self-propelled carriage on rails covered a distance of 9 miles, and in the course of travel the load increased to 15 tons - about 70 people risked climbing up to ride under the approving hum of the crowd. The speed was 5 miles per hour, while the boiler did not need to top up water. But a too bulky engine could not have spread, so Trevitik continues to improve the design.
Catch me who can
For a new model called Catch Me Who Can, on the outskirts of London, Trevitik builds a ring road out of rails. He believes that manufacturers will be interested in the new machine. Having surrounded the test site with a high fence, he even begins to sell entrance tickets for those wishing to ride, hoping to cover expenses and make a profit. The new engine allowed to reach speeds of up to 30 km / h.
But the idea did not bring success. The world's first passenger locomotive, created for the sake of entertainment, did not attract the attention of industrialists. Due to a cracked cast-iron rail, he capsized, receiving serious damage. Trevitik did not even begin to restore it, taking up other inventions. In 1816, he left for Peru to start installing his engines in local mines.
The fate of Trevitika: interesting facts
Until 1827, an outstanding inventor remained in South America. Returning to the country, he discovered that his achievements were successfully used and developed by other engineers. He died in 1833, being almost a beggar. The main problem that did not allow his ideas to be realized at the turn of the century was the lack of roads. He spent his fortune on clearing special tracks for steam wagons, freeing them from trees and stones.
The very first steam locomotive in the world caused James Watt to appeal to the British Parliament so that lawmakers banned engines using high-pressure steam. The law was not passed, but it still suspended the development of Trevitika.
Watt accused his student of stealing Bott and Watt steam engine ideas. This caused a great scandal, forcing Trevitika to defend his honest name.
Only in the 1920s were conditions created for steam transport. This is due to the name of George Stephenson.
The opening of the railway of public importance
Even during the life of Trevitik, in 1825, the railway was opened, connecting Stockton and Darlington. Self-taught engineer George Stephenson came up with a convenient design that allows a locomotive to pull a heavy train along smooth rails. In his invention, the rails themselves played an important role, the track of which is still generally accepted in Western Europe (1435 mm). The steam locomotive during the opening of the railway was steered by Stephenson himself, and nearby a cavalcade of horsemen, lagging behind during the descent. The amazement of the crowd knew no bounds. The speed was 24 km / h.
For public needs, the first steam engine in the world created Stephenson in 1814. He covered a distance of 30 km, and by the middle of the century, all of Europe was covered by a network of railways. Steam locomotives began to transport not only goods, but also people.
Soviet version
In the Soviet Union, it has long been claimed that the Stephenson steam engine and the Russian Cherepanovs invented. Father and son allegedly did this independently of Western Europe. In fact, Miron Cherepanov visited England, where he saw the structure on rails. Returning to Vyisky Zavod, he tried to copy what he saw, but still it took two years to develop his idea. The world's first steam locomotive on rails was tested in 1804 (many consider this date to be the birthday of the steam locomotive), and the “land steamer” in Russia appeared in 1833.
It was used to transport ore until the entire forest was destroyed in the vicinity. The locomotives were replaced by horse drawn, remembering the invention two more years later.
It's curious
A statue has been erected in Cambourne: Richard Trevitik holds his first trackless wagon, bearing the name "Puffing Devil." The model can be seen in many museums dedicated to the history of steam locomotive building. And where is the world's first steam locomotive itself?
Once the inventor stopped at the inn, forgetting to reduce the fire that maintains the temperature of the boiler. When the water boiled away, the wagon caught fire. It took a few minutes for her to die. However, this did not upset the cheerful Cheetah, who continued to work on new inventions.
The place of his burial, unfortunately, has been lost, but the name of the talented engineer is inscribed in gold letters in world history.