Set of 5: 1987 22c Steam Trains

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Stourbridge Lion 1829 USA22 BALTIMORE ОСТ 1987 21233 MD Best Friend of Charleston 1830 USA22 BALTIMORE ОСТ 1987 21233 MD John Bull 1831 USA 22 BALTIMURE OCT 1. 1987 21233 MD Brother Jonathan 1832 USA22 MORE ОСТ 1987 21233 MD Gowan & Marx 1839 USA22 GRLTIMBRE OCT 1987 21233 COWAN SMARx 00 MD

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STOURBRIDGE LION First Day of Issue: October 1, 1987 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland The first test drive of the first operational locomotive in America was an exciting occasion. The year was 1829, and the locomotive was named the “Stourbridge Lion." The Lion was commissioned by the Delaware and Hud- son Canal Company. A civii engineer named Horatio Allen was chosen to design the craft. He was also as- signed the practical task of having the locomotive built. At the time, England was the only place in the world with a locomotive in daily use, so Allen went there to see his design realized. The debate over boiler types was still going on. Thus, he decided to have two engines designed with small riveted flues, and one, the Lion, sporting the multitubular boiler he preferred. Only the Lion ever made it to the designated railway. On August 9, 1829, it was ready for testing, and Allen himself was there to run it. The “Stourbridge Lion” thus, took the honor of being the first operational locomotive ever used in the United States. No. 87-93 ©1987 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley. BEST FRIEND OF CHARLESTON First Day of Issue: October 1, 1987 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland As railroads came to be built, and horse drawn entities were still common, the steam engine fired the imagina- tion of the nation's entrepreneurs. The Charleston & Hamburg Line had as its chief engineer Horatio Allen, who in 1829 had designed the “Stourbridge Lion” America's first operational locomotive. The success of the imported Lion encouraged Allen to attempt an Ameri- can-made version. In December of 1830, the “Best Friend of Charleston” became the first locomotive ever to pull a train of cars by steam power along American railroad tracks. One month later, the six-mile railroad began formal operation. About two hundred guests, mostly shareholders and their families, rode the train. Traveling at twenty-one miles per hour, the train was hailed by intermittent explosions from a small Army field gun specially requisitioned for the trip. Later, on the regular run, the two hundred guests were replaced by forty to fifty paying customers. No. 87-94 ©1987 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley. JOHN BULL First Day of Issue: October 1, 1987 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland The history of the railroad symbolizes America's past, when the Industrial Age created a renaissance of human progress, and the steam engine opened up a continent. At the time, each locomotive took on a character of its own, stirring engineers to give them colorful names. The “Best Friend of Charleston” carried passengers along the South Carolina railway, while the “Stourbridge Lion” roared its way to the Pennsylvania coal mines. The “John Bull” served the New Jersey line as early as 1831, and proved to be one of the most durable of the early engines used in America. This trusty locomotive was pulled out of retirement in 1893 for a trip to the Columbian Expos- ition held in Chicago. “John Bull" exemplified the glory of the railroads in ways less hardy predecessors could not. Thus, when the Smithsonian Institution sought to capture the excitement of the railroad era, “John Bull” was the engine of choice. Today, it is the oldest locomo- tive preserved in the United States. No. 87-95 ©1987 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley. BROTHER JONATHAN First Day of Issue: October 1, 1987 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland The early 1830's were marked by improvements in the railroad industry. A man named John Jervis was among the innovators. Jervis was chief engineer for the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. In 1832, he made improvements which would become standard in locomotives through- out the country. His idea was to lighten the engine by removing the rigid front axle with its single pair of wheels and substituting a front truck with two axles and four wheels. The “Experiment" was built at the West Point Foundry according to Jervis' new design. It was a success and Jervis' concept was adopted almost immediately. The engine was renamed “Brother Jonathan" and, achieving speeds of 60 miles per hour, became the fastest locomotive in the world. “Brother Jonathan" was later converted to an eight-wheel construction and served for many years along the rails of America. Jervis had thus paved the way for “Americanization” of the locomotive. The result was a period of progress for the railroad industry. No. 87-96 ©1987 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley GOWAN & MARX First Day of Issue: October 1,1987 First Issue Location: Baltimore, Maryland Once the novelty of the railroad started to wane, businessmen began to seriously consider it as a profitable enterprise. The key to this enterprise was power. The more a train could carry, the more economical its use would be. Thus, designers focused on the design of engines which could haul huge loads, but with the weight evenly enough distributed so as not to overburden the tracks. It was quite a challenge and many of America's railroad lines suffered much wear during development and trial stages. There were successes, however. Among them was the “Gowan & Marx." Built in 1839, this engine was one of the most powerful of early locomo- tives. On a single trip, the “Gowan & Marx” was able to pull 101 four-wheeled train cars, weighing 423 tons. The little engine thus could haul forty times its own weight. Suddenly, it seemed railroads would be the wave of the future, offering inexpensive transit through the rugged American wilderness. No. 87-97 ©1987 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by John Swatsley.