J. Parker Lamb 216 pages hardcover
Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive documents the role played by
mechanical engineers in the development of locomotive design. The steam
engine and the mechanical engineering profession both grew directly out
of the Industrial Revolution's need for sources of power beyond that of
men and animals. Invented in England when coal mining was being
developed, the practical steam engine eventually found numerous
applications in transportation, especially in railroad technology. J.
Parker Lamb traces the evolution of the steam engine from the early
1700s through the early 1800s, when the first locomotives were sent to
the United States from England. Lamb then shifts the scene to the
development of the American steam locomotive, first by numerous small
builders, and later, by the early 20th century, by only three major
enterprises and a handful of railroad company shops. Lamb reviews the
steady progress of steam locomotive technology through its pinnacle
during the 1930s, then discusses the reasons for its subsequent decline.
