Technikatörténeti szemle 4. (1967)

TANULMÁNYOK - Mináry József: Mérnökszemmel az első gőzmozdonyokról

The greatest success of his activities was reached at the Rainhill engine competition on 6th October, 1829, when his „Rocket" won the first prize. This was built with the cooperation of his son, R. Stephenson engineer, head of the Newcastle locomotive factory. From the competing four engines only the „Rocket" could easily fulfil, even surpass the requirements. Though Stephenson's locomotive was of a good construction in every detail, its overwhelming success was ensured by its fire tube boiler. Its heater surface could produce the required quantity of vapour. The first Stephenson engine boiler consisted of two separate parts, i. e. of the long- and land-boiler. The firebox had no tube wall and it was fixed to the long-boiler by screws. The water and vapour space of the land-boiler were connected to those of the long-boiler by two separate tubes. In principle this construction is similar to that of up-to-date Stephenson boilers. From the above it is but obvious that the model of the „Rocket" cannot be missing from the collection of the Communicational Museum, along with the first Trevithick locomotive model.