Most important engine in history?

JMORG · Post by **JMORG** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:11 pm

What would you guys say is the most historically important engine in history?

Aizoon · Post by **Aizoon** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:52 pm

Trevithick's Penydaren locomotive, and not just because it was geared

laurence703 · Post by **laurence703** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:02 pm

LNWR "Bloomer"
Prevented a war with the US, was a Very successful design and had the tracks been of a better standard back then it probably would have set a record!

IRON MAN · Post by **IRON MAN** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:12 pm

Ffesty Double Fairlie?

Basis of engines using power bogies?
I may be a bit biased about that though...

JMORG · Post by **JMORG** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:29 pm

What about the humble Dolgoch?

Dolgoch single-handedly proved that volunteer run railways could (and do) work.
I have a feeling that if this humble industrial engine failed during those pioneering years, we wouldn't even have halve the number of heritage railways as we do now!

williamfj · Post by **williamfj** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:45 pm

Blenkinsop's rack loco of 1812 proved that steam locomotion could be a commercially worthwhile venture which is something that Trevithick's locos failed to do so. Or Rocket simply as she was the first loco to combine many of the parts seen in loco design until the end of steam in a 'real world' environment

WVLR · Post by **WVLR** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:52 pm

Hero's Steam Turbine

It showed for the first time ever that the power of
steam could be harnessed to do work.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:30 am

WVLR:96953 wrote:Hero's Steam Turbine

It showed for the first time ever that the power of
steam could be harnessed to do work.

But it wasnt therefore its a failure.
Heroes steam engine was a simple novelty

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:58 am

Stephenson`s `Northumbrian` because all locos since have used the same fundamentals of its design.

However, without Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont who patented the first steam powered device in 1606 (water pump for mines) then steam engines as we know them would not of existed.

But do we then say without the `Aeolipile` would the above not of happened?

I likes history me

WVLR · Post by **WVLR** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:33 am

pauly:96961 wrote:Heroes steam engine was a simple novelty

It was a serious invention to demonstrate a theory. I think for the time (Circa AD50) it was probably seen more as magic than a novelty.

bessytractor · Post by **bessytractor** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:13 pm

WVLR:96967 wrote:
pauly:96961 wrote:Heroes steam engine was a simple novelty
It was a serious invention to demonstrate a theory. I think for the time (Circa AD50) it was probably seen more as magic than a novelty.

Indeed, I agree this is one of the most important,

Personally I think the most important is Watts improvement over the atmospheric engine, which was the first "true" steam engine.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:15 pm

JMORG:96941 wrote:What would you guys say is the most historically important engine in history?

'Thomas'

Look at the number of newcomers to the hobby directly as a result of the stories and steam specials....... must be important in its own way?

laurence703 · Post by **laurence703** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:44 pm

Be it Thomas, Ivor, chuggington... Etc they will always inspire children... For me it was Thomas and skarloey, Duncan, Duke, Falcon, Stuart, Rheneas, Rusty etc...

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:26 pm

I quite agree with Thomas et al.

In real life I think it would have to be one of James Watts pumping engines.

WVLR · Post by **WVLR** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:44 am

Charles Parsons --- the steam turbine, only 1 major moving part and still
being manufactured and in use throughout the world 130 years later.

jez kirkwood · Post by **jez kirkwood** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:41 pm

Has to be Heywood's 0-4-0 'Katie' as this humble little loco is single handed responsible for the entire rail preservation movement....

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:16 pm

jez kirkwood:97399 wrote:Has to be Heywood's 0-4-0 'Katie' as this humble little loco is single handed responsible for the entire rail preservation movement....

really, I thought that was Dolgoch (or has this got to do with it keeping the ratty or the fairbourne open?)

paullad1984 · Post by **paullad1984** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:18 pm

id say Dolgoch, because without her there would be NO heritage railways as we know them, and probably no 16mm scale models!

jez kirkwood · Post by **jez kirkwood** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:27 pm

If you read 'Landscape with machines' you'll find out that Tom Rolt, as a very small child living in Chester, was taken in his pushchair to see Katie crossing the road outside Eaton Hall - which he says is what got him into railways.
So without Katie, Dolgoch and many others may never have been saved............

not that I'm biased or anything............

Dannypenguin · Post by **Dannypenguin** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:33 pm

jez kirkwood:97420 wrote:Tom Rolt, as a very small child living in Chester, was taken in his pushchair to see Katie crossing the road outside Eaton Hall - which he says is what got him into railways.

Amazing to think how this is all connected to my local steam railway!

I personally think there are too many important locomotives to choose a single loco out, they all have their place in history!

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