Although American locomotive builders at first depended upon English models in their work, they were soon able to produce ma chines that attracted attention abroad. As far as is known, the first locomotives exported from this country were shipped to Cuba in 1838, by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1840, locomotives were built for the Birming ham and Gloucester Railway, in England, by William Norris. In the following- year, the Baldwin Locomotive Works built a locomotive for Austria; and in 1845 they built three for the Royal Railway of Wurtemberg. Three years later the Rogers Locomotive Works shipped locomotives to Cuba, and the export business was well under way. Even England and Continental Europe, in spite of their fa cilities for locomotive construction, have at times purchased American built locomotives. Unfortunately there are no figures that can tell authoritatively how many locomotives were exported by the United States builders during the early years of the industry, and, as even the later statistics are incomplete, in view of the fact that they do not cover the shipments to Canada and Mexico, it is very difficult to ob tain anything like a comprehensive idea of the subject. According to the best figures obtain able, during the 26 years that elapsed between 1879 and 1904, inclusive, no less than 6,173 were sent to foreign countries from ports in the United States, while their value was placed at $57,843,005. At the present time, American locomotives are in use in almost every inhab ited portion of the globe.
One excuse for England's interest in Amer ican locomotives may be found in the labor conditions that have existed from time to time in that country. Thus, in 1898, when the Mid land, the Great Northern and the Great Cen tral railroads together ordered no less than 80 of our machines, 70 from the Baldwin works and 10 from the Schenectady works, they were somewhat compelled to resort to this method of relief. All through the year 1897 the engi neering works of Great Britain had been af fected by a strike, and, in 1898, when the men finally returned to their work, the several plants were so overcrowded with orders that it was impossible for them to meet all the de mands that were made upon them. Naturally, when the American locomotives appeared they were subjected to all sorts of adverse criti cism by the British builders. Efforts were made to show that they could not he com pared to the English machines, either in point of speed, or in matter of economy, but as the statements made were all biased and incon clusive, the American manufacturers have not taken them greatly to heart, especially in view of the fact• that they are constantly being called upon to furnish machines for use in various parts of Asia and Africa, where, coming into direct competition with the English product, the railroads have had an opportunity to test the truth of such charges.
The European War, which broke out in 1914, caused a considerable demand for Amer ican locomotives for service abroad. Engines for military purposes were ordered by the British, French and Russian governments and were built in remarkably short time. For ex
ample the Baldwin Locomotive Works built 20 light tank locomotives for the French gov ernment in 16 working days from the time the order was received.
In 1832, the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad Company paid Matthias W. Baldwin the sum of $3,500 for the locomo tive "Old Ironsides.a From that time the price charged for such machines slowly but steadily increased until, during the period of the Civil War, sums ranging from $30,000 to $35,000 were received for the heavy freight or passen ger locomotives. Of course, locomotive build ing was no exception to the other industries, and, after war times, the prices of its product declined to about $7,000 for a 35-ton passenger locomotive. This was the price that prevailed about 1879. During 1880 and 1881, prices rose rapidly until fully $15,000 was paid for a simi lar machine; and they then declined gradually until 1896, when from $8,000 to $9,000 was paid for an average passenger locomotive and from $9,000 to $10,000 for an average freight loco motive. In general, as the total weight of loco motives has increased, there has been a de crease in the price per pound.
The introduction of the 50-ton steel car, in 1897, brought about a marked advance both in the weight and power of locomotives. To meet this new demand the weight of the ordi nary consolidation freight locomotive, which had ranged from 60 to 70 tons, was increased to 80 to 100 tons, while some of the machines that were constructed were as heavy as 115 tons, exclusive of tender. As such an increase of weight and power had been inspired solely by business conditions, the railroads were quick to respond to such an evidence of pros perity by ordering the kind of rolling stock that was necessary to enable them to meet these new requirements and which would just as certainly increase their own earning power. In 1897 materials were expensive and wages were high. Taking these facts into considera tion, it is by no means surprising that the con struction of such heavy locomotives should have brought the price to $15,000 or $16,000.
During more recent years, the weight and power of locomotives has continued to advance. The Consolidation type has been superseded, to a considerable extent, by the Mikado, which provides increased steaming capacity in pro portion to adhesion. Locomotives with five pairs of coupled driving-wheels have also been introduced, on a number of roads, for heavy freight service; while for the heaviest kind of work the Mallet articulated type, with driving wheels arranged in two groups, is successfully employed. This type is the invention of Ana tole Mallet, a French engineer, whose first ar ticulated locomotives were built in Europe in 1889. The American Locomotive Company built the first Mallet for service in the United States in 1904. This engine was constructed for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and proved a decided success. The largest Mallet locomotives built for service in this country far exceed in weight and capacity any that are in use abroad.