Excerpt from Locomotives and Locomotive Building: Being a Brief Sketch of the Growth of the Railroad System and of the Various Improvements in Locomotive Building in America Together With a History of the Origin and Growth of the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, Paterson, New Jersey

The last catalogue of the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works with a sketch of the origin and growth of that establishment, was published in 1876.

Since then many changes have been made in the equipment of these Works and in the character, design, and dimensions of the locomotives turned out. To describe these adequately it was necessary to rewrite nearly the whole of the former volume. This work was entrusted to my hands by the officers of the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works. As it was commenced during the fiftieth year that the establishment had been engaged in the manufacture of locomotives, it seemed a suitable time to give a somewhat full account of the origin and history of the Works, and of the evolution of the locomotives built in them during that period. Such an account has been carefully prepared, and consists very largely of what may be called a mechanical history of the work which has been done; which, it is thought, will be interesting to many readers, as it shows the successive steps which have led to the wonderful development of the locomotive in this country. It also indicates the extent to which the perfection of the modern American type of locomotive is due to the ingenuity, mechanical skill, and sound judgment of the founder of this establishment Mr. Thomas Rogers, and to his successor - Mr. William S. Hudson; Both of them have left a record of their genius and ability in their designs, which are imitated to-day, and which promise to survive until locomotives are superceded.

Very complete data concerning the dimensions and performance of the locomotives which this establishment is now prepared to furnish are given by illustrations and tables in the latter part of the book, and as there is still considerable difference of Opinion and practice in calculating the capacity of locomotives, an explanatory chapter is given showing just how the calculations were made.

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