The John Bull: 150 Years a Locomotive

Written by John White, noted railroad historian and Curator of Transportation for the Smithsonian, this book is a complete biography of one of the very first American steam locomotives, the John Bull. The author discusses its construction in England in 1831, its use by the Camden & Amboy until 1866, its acquisition by the Smithsonian in 1885, and the year long study and testing program that allowed the John Bull to run again in 1981 on its 150th birthday. The book also discusses the controversial history of the Camden & Amboy and its curious and often eccentric engines that show how (and why) imported British engines were modified by American mechanics. Illustrated throughout with black and white photos, lithographs, drawings, etc. 136 pages.