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DeWitt Clinton (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
The DeWitt Clinton of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad (M&H) was the first steam locomotive
to operate in the state of New York
and the fourth built in the United States
.
The locomotive began operations in 1831. It was named in honour of DeWitt Clinton
, the governor of New York State responsible for the Erie Canal
, who died in 1828. Portions of the steam engine were cast at the West Point Foundry
in Cold Spring NY. The DeWitt Clinton's first run was from the city of Albany, New York to Schenectady, New York, a run of 16 miles. Its passenger cars were yellow stagecoaches in which the riders would sit either inside or on outdoor rumble seats. It was scrapped in 1833. The M&H became part of the New York Central Railroad
system in 1853.
The New York Central Railroad buit a scale and operational reproduction of the DeWitt Clinton, complete with three carriages, for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This replica continued to work as an engaging promotional device for the railroad in many subsequent locations until purchased by Henry Ford in 1934 with the condition that it still travel periodically to fairs and expositions on behalf of the NYCR.. It is kept on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
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...
to operate in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the fourth built in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The locomotive began operations in 1831. It was named in honour of DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, the governor of New York State responsible for the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, who died in 1828. Portions of the steam engine were cast at 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...
in Cold Spring NY. The DeWitt Clinton's first run was from the city of Albany, New York to Schenectady, New York, a run of 16 miles. Its passenger cars were yellow stagecoaches in which the riders would sit either inside or on outdoor rumble seats. It was scrapped in 1833. The M&H became part of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
system in 1853.
The New York Central Railroad buit a scale and operational reproduction of the DeWitt Clinton, complete with three carriages, for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This replica continued to work as an engaging promotional device for the railroad in many subsequent locations until purchased by Henry Ford in 1934 with the condition that it still travel periodically to fairs and expositions on behalf of the NYCR.. It is kept on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.