Home U.K. The locomotive was built for the South Carolina C Here are some pictures of the Best Friend of Charleston inside the museum at 32 Ann Street. A replica was donated to the city of Charleston by Norfolk Southern in 1993. Cosmically Cool Summer Fun at the State Museum Get Tickets Today! It sported an upright boiler like Cooper's "Tom Thumb" but also featured some now-common steam designs such as rod-connected drivers and a trailing tender to store the wood (really just a two-axle flat car with small sides). The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company used slaves to work on the line, both as laborers and as firemen to regulate the steam engine. But this meant that more goods were heading to Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston was missing out on those export taxes. Instead, they opted for a rail line connecting Charleston and the upland town of Hamburg, South Carolina, just across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. Images, GIFs and videos featured seven times a day. The work of clearing the route and laying track commenced in earnest in the spring of 1831, proceeding from suburban Charleston to the . The Best Friend of Charleston was the first American steam locomotive built for revenue service. The Best Friend of Charleston began the first regular passenger service in the country following a six-mile route in Charleston. Invitations for community visits are handled through the Public Relations Department, but John visits all new location st check the physical arrangements and to meet the representatives of sponsoring organizations. organized on April 24th, 1827 was the first, true common-carrier line The Best Friend of Charleston was indeed, The little engine that did!, 2023 The Best Friend of Charleston - Site Deployment by. Sat:: Wonk alert! In doing so, it completely revolutionized Americas transportation. I think it was the bicentinial of the founding of the colony. Though its speed might not impress us today, by 19th century standards it was nothing short of incredible. The increasing demand for showing the Best Friend kept him busy maintaining and chasing it more that full time. JohnWilliams 18 jan 2020. History. The train depot was heavily damaged by a fire in 1995, but it has since been restored as a museum. The city's newspaper, the Charleston Courier noted: "The one hundred and forty-one persons flew on the wings of wind at the speed of fifteen to twenty-five miles per hour, annihilating time and spaceleaving all the world behind. The curiosity of the [1970 NRHS] convention was the Southern's Best Friend replica, which ran for two days at Charleston, shuttling fans out to the edge of the city, where the other engines 630, 722, 4501, green-painted Hampton & Branchville 4-6-0 No. [7], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}335955N 810253W / 33.9986N 81.0481W / 33.9986; -81.0481. It only traveled across a six-mile route during its six months, but, even so, this short-lived train was a huge technological achievement. It has a new display building for the 1928 replica of the Best Friend of Charleston was built at 32 Ann St. in downtown Charleston. in the Northeast although it was not until the B&O was chartered and Best Friend was subsequently rebuilt and served as the Phoenix. THE EVENT. . Overall, the unit weighed about 3.75 tons (minus water in the boiler and fuel/wood). [1] The resulting blast was said to have hurled metal fragments over a wide area and killed the fireman. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [4] A pair of cross-heads above the cylinders transmitted the power through a pair of coupling rods, making use of a loose eccentric valve gear. The locomotive was built for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company by the West Point Foundry of New York in 1830. It survived until Amtrak in 1971. Find the locations in Minnesota here which harken back to the bygone era of rail travel when dinner was served aboard the train. Of note, there is also another, non-operable, replica on display at the South Carolina State Museum, in Columbia. The Best Friend of Charleston Made its first trip on Dec. 25, 1830. It was also the first train to suffer a railroad explosion. When it is loaded, the train rests on tracks installed inside the cars. 2015-2020 University of South Carolina aws, first locomotive built in the United States for public service, South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, used slaves to work on the line, both as laborers and as firemen to regulate the steam engine, engine was rebuilt and rechristened the Phoenix, University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies, https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/best-friend-of-charleston/. Today, an operable replica of the locomotive is in the hands of the Charleston, SC Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. A working replica of Locomotion has also been built and following years of operation at Beamish Museum is now on display at the Head of Steam museum. 59.3K subscribers The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive. service, the Best Friend of Charleston on the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Thats the job he has now, but he has spent little time at it. The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive which is widely acclaimed as the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service and produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the United States. He joined Southern in late 1940 as a laborer at Finley Shop, Birmingham, washing side rods on steam engines for 33 cents an hour. Live by the train, die by the train. new invention on February 21, 1804, it was clear that railroads could [3][4][5] It was then put on public display at NS Atlanta headquarters at 1200 Peachtree Street in midtown Atlanta, GA; then transported by truck in October 2013[6] to Charleston, SC. The maximum speed of Locomotion No. In the 1820s, the bustling seaport of Charleston experienced an alarming economic recession as settlements expanded inland and westward. In 1857, as a consequence of its historical importance, Locomotion No. On August 6, 2005, the City of Charleston lent it to the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), the original SCRR line's current operator, for five years. On Christmas Day of 1830, December 25th, theBest Friend of Charlestonpulled away from the Camden Depot in Charleston (now a National Historic Landmark) carrying 141 paying passengers. . : The Exhibit Car, a museum on wheels, tells the modern, innovative side of railroading and the continuing role Norfolk Southern and it operating subsidiaries, NW and SR, play in the development of the industry. Fun fact: Did you know the Best Friend got a shout-out from Johnny Cash in his 1974 educational video Ridin the Rails? The blast is said to have been caused by the fireman tying down the steam pressure release valve; he had grown tired of hearing it whistle, so to stop the noise he closed the valve permanently. At this time, Europeans were just beginning to experiment with the concept of a Rail Road; a new means of transportation that employed a locomotive propelled along rails by steam power. On that day, it pulled a passenger train along a six-mile route. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos . climbing a gradient upon setting off); this was common practice and a common cause of boiler bursts until a tamper-proof safety valve was produced. The original Best Friend made its six mile run Christmas Day, 1830, from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C., so named by local merchants who saw the train providing low-cost, dependable transportation, the Best Friend was build for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, Southern Railway's earliest predecessor line. When a subsequent explosion on the Charleston & Hamburg injured passengers in the first car behind the engine, the company took action. Its performance exceeded expectations, with one observer writing that passengers flew on the wings of the wind at the speed of fifteen to twenty miles per hour, annihilating time and space.. However, the centre-flue boiler proved to be a weakness, providing for a poor heating surface compared to later multi-flue boilers. The speed of The Best Friend of Charleston was laughable by our standards, but in its day, it was audacious. A vertical boiler mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the Best Friend was built by the West Point Foundry of New York and put into service on a broad-gauge line from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C., by the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company on Dec. 25, 1830. This might have been the worst musicians gig in the world: trying to play your instrument while riding backwards on a lurching, open rail car, showered by soot and sparks from the smokestack, waiting for the boiler behind you to explode. It seems like they had a lot figured out back in the day about transportation. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers. The first steam engine on the Charleston-Hamburg line, built in December, 1830, for $4,000, was affectionately named "Best Friend of Charleston." Less than six months after its purchase, a worker, objecting to the machinery's loud hissing as it traveled on a revolving platform, closed a safety valve to quiet the noise and caused an explosion . [12], Following its withdrawal, Locomotion was purchased by Joseph Pease and Partners, converted into a stationary pumping engine for use at their West Collieries in South Durham, where it was used until 1857. It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005). Currently, the locomotive is on display at Norfolk Southern's headquarters in Atlanta, Ga, while the trailing cars are held at the South Carolina Railroad Museum. I enjoyed that job because it offered such variety, he said. The Best Friend Train Museum is located at 23 Ann Street behind the Charleston Area Visitor Center on Meeting Street in . With the decrease in commerce, Charleston merchants began aggressively investigating avenues to revitalize the floundering economy. The Best Friend of Charleston took its first trip along six miles of track on Christmas Day, 1830. In the early 1800s, transportation looked completely different from what it does today. It remained in service for six months until June 17, 1831 when its boiler exploded, partially destroying the locomotive and severely injuring its crew (as legend goes the fireman became tired of listening to the hissing and whistling coming from the boiler and held down the steam pressure release valve). Unfortunately, locomotives of this era were not exactly constructed to any type of standards or overseen by regulations and after less than one year of service it suffered a boiler explosion. If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. Slidell, La / Feb 1982 / Michael Palmieri, from TIES magazine May-Jun 2006 / collection. from The Birmingham News newspaper - Nov 1961 / collection, from Railroading 36 - Nov 1970 / collection. I. During the next 50 years, the Best Friend was featured at the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948, the Diamond Jubilee celebration at Thomasville, N.C., in 1963, the 100th birthday of Ludlow, Ky., in 1964, a Civil War commemoration at Perryville, Ky., the same year and the KentuckyRailwayMuseum at Louisville in 1966. The South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company was chartered in 1827 and began constructing its first track running from Charleston to Branchville. Another milestone was set down by the little puffer Best Friend of Charleston. As one might imagine, John has his favorite stories, like meeting film star Elizabeth Taylor at a banquet in Danville, Va., and giving her a Best Friend Charm. Created by Michael Sheehan Media www.michaelsheehanmedia.net Copyright 2020- Hosted by, A History of Transportation in the Eastern Cotton Belt to 1860, South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company, The North Carolina Railroad: Planning the Route. ", "WATCH: Locomotion No 1 arrives in Shildon", "Science Museum Group and Darlington Borough Council agree future plans for Locomotion No. From then until mid-December SCC&RR officials and engineers continued to test the locomotive to ready it for regular operation. Within three years, the rail road boasted of six locomotives, including the Phoenix, an engine constructed from the Best Friends remains. Disassembled for shipment by boat to Charleston, South Carolina, it arrived in October of that year and was unofficially named The Best Friend of Charleston. Best Friend of Charleston, first steam locomotive built in the United States for regular railway service. Designed by Elegant WordPress Themes | Powered by WordPress, on The Best Friend of Charleston: Short-Lived, Long Legacy, Apollo April at the South Carolina State Museum. The B&O was created by Baltimore Transport Locomotive Rolling stock George Stephenson Steam locomotive Locomotive 50% (1/1) This fire heats the water held in a boiler to the point that it creates steam, which pushes pistons that move rods connected to the wheels, moving the train forward. On 1 July 1828, it was heavily damaged when its boiler exploded at Aycliffe Lane station, resulting in the death of its driver, John Cree. It produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the United States. Locomotives like the Best Friend work by using the pressure produced by steam. Johns most touching Best Friend experience occurred several years ago in Charleston. Columbia, SC 29201, CLICK HERE to report State Agency Fraud (Office of the Inspector General). It is presently at the Locomotion museum in Shildon. The resulting explosion blew the locomotives into pieces and the man to Kingdom come! This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Best-Friend-of-Charleston, South Carolina Encyclopedia - Best Friend of Charleston, Teaching American History in South Carolina - The Best Friend of Charleston, The Charleston Railroad. Norfolk Southern will miss this special man whos been an invaluable link between its railroad and the communities we serve. The Panic of 1819 wounded both Charleston and Savannah, two major export centers, and both cities looked for recovery. 28329. It houses a replica of the Best Friend of Charleston, a steam locomotive which carried passengers en route from Charleston to Hamburg, passing through Branchville. The year 1830 was an exciting time in the new, fledgling railroad industry which saw the first U.S.-built steam locomotive ever operated in the United States that August, Peter Cooper's "Tom Thumb" along the Baltimore & Ohio. To accomplish their goal, Charleston had the South Carolina legislature charter the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company. In Charleston, the weapons were delivered to a storehouse which the Americans had used as an improvised arsenal. This nameless Negro fireman was killed by his injuries, and was the first fatality on an America railroad. The Best Friend did much in its short life. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). As a means of implementing Britain's "southern strategy", such a disparate collection of militia arms was earmarked for the eventual use of Carolina Loyalists. Heightstown, N.J.: world's first train wreck and first passenger fatalities recorded. On the return we reached Sans-Souci in quick and double quick time, stopped to take up a recruiting party-darted forth like a live rocket, scattering sparks and flames on either side-passed over three salt creeks hop, step and jump, and landed us all safe at the Lines before any of us had time to determine whether or not it was prudent to be scared. At the time, it was considered one of the fastest modes of transport, taking its passengers "on the wings of wind at the speed of fifteen to twenty-five miles per hour (24 to 40km/h). For trains with a single car, the speed was not to exceed 15 mph; for trains with two and three cars, the speed was not to exceed 12 and 10 mph, respectively. After its inaugural run on Christmas Day, it was used in regular passenger service along a six-mile (9.7km) demonstration route in Charleston. On June 17, 1831 the fireman of the Best Friend of Charleston closed a steam valve because he was annoyed by the constant whistling sound it made. Reputable medical authorities of the time were warning that speeds in excess of 10 mph could kill passengers on the newfangled railroad by depriving them of oxygen. Historic information: The Charleston Chapter NRHS was organized in 1967 and holds meetings at the Ashley Park Retirement Community, 1451 Tobias Gadson Blvd., Charleston SC , at 11 A.M. on the second Saturday of each month. [2], Locomotion 1 is such an important part of Darlington's history that it is depicted on the town's coat of arms,[13] and on the badges of its football and rugby clubs.[14]. I like trains. John Steven's was granted the first charter for a steam powered railroad in America in March 21, 1823. 1 (originally named Active) is an early steam locomotive that was built in 1825 by the pioneering railway engineers George and Robert Stephenson at their manufacturing firm, Robert Stephenson and Company. In the If youve ever been to the South State Museum, chances are youve looked up at our pre-historic megalodon shark named Finn, checked out the Boeing Observatory, and seen the full-scale locomotive replica at the top of the stairs to the science & technology floor. The shop developed and built machinery for Maintenance of Way. Fairfax Harrison caused the Best Friend replica to be built in 1928; in 1970 it has been making appearances throughout South Carolina in connection with the state's tricentennial. While waiting to start a run, the locomotive fireman, annoyed by the hissing sound of escaping steam, tied the engine's safety valve shut. [6][pageneeded] The driver, who had to perch on a small platform beside the boiler, was James Stephenson, the elder brother to George Stephenson; the fireman, William Gowling, stood on a footplate between the engine and the tender. A vertical boiler mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the Best Friend was built by the West Point Foundry of New York and put into service on a broad-gauge line from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C., by the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company on Dec. 25, 1830. 1 continued to haul trains on the S&DR for three years. On June 17, 1831, the Best Friend was the first locomotive in the US to suffer a boiler explosion. The company commissioned a passenger steam locomotive Americas first from the West Point Foundry in New York. Because of the heavy schedule, the Best Friend consumed all my time.. The original Best Friend made its six mile run Christmas Day, 1830, from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C., so named by local merchants who saw the train providing low-cost, dependable transportation, the Best Friend was build for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, Southern Railways earliest predecessor line. the steam locomotive by Richard Trevithick of England who showcased his The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive that is widely acclaimed as the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. It ran along six miles of wood and metal rails terminating near the junction of State and Dorchester Roads. With an extra tap on his top hat, a longer pull on the shrill whistle and fond memories flooding his mind, John ended his love affair with his Best Friend. 1", "Darlington to have replica Locomotion No 1 on display", http://www.spartacus-educational.com/RAlocomotion.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Locomotion_No._1&oldid=1113346039, This page was last edited on 1 October 2022, at 01:09. Both means of transportation were totally dependent upon weather and temperature conditions. Remember how steam engines make that loud whistling noise? In October, 1830 the SCC&RR received its order after it had been delivered aboard the shipNiagara. [16] Some in Darlington objected to the move, as the locomotive had resided in Darlington since preservation, and is depicted on the town's coat of arms and on the badges of its football and rugby clubs, and so it is claimed by some that the locomotive is only owned by the NRM due to an accident of history. 2023 The Best Friend of Charleston - Site Deployment by. This exhibit features artifacts and images from both the railroad and the banking operations of the most important company of Augusta and Georgia. But my guess is still about 50/50 on whether a butt was involved. Upon completion, the 136-mile-long Charleston & Hamburg was the longest railroad in the world. [5] In November of that year, only months after the company started operations, a key order was placed by the Stockton & Darlington Railway Company for four stationary engines. [citation needed], On 16 September 1824, the S&DR ordered a pair of steam locomotives, at a price of 550 (about 46,810 today) each. A few months later in December, 1 was preserved and put on display. You want to be around to run that train.'. In 1830, the company built a stretch of rail extending six miles up Charleston Neck for demonstration purposes, on which the engine known as the "Best Friend of Charleston" made its debut that December. The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive widely considered the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. In the 1820s, the bustling seaport of Charleston experienced an alarming economic recession as settlements expanded inland and westward. Then John left Southern for five years, did building contract work and a very short stint with the Pennsylvania Railroad as industrial engineer. In 1830 the engine arrived by packet ship from the West Point Foundry in New York. Service. play a vital role in the faster movement of people and goods. In September 1825, Locomotion No. An electronically operated 50-ton winch pulls the train on and off the cars. But most importantly, his role as Best Friend engineer has triggered the squeal of children and adults as hes started the Best Friend down the track, generating nostalgia and excitement of that first run 153 years ago. [7] Locomotion No. A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. In 1831 the Best Friend was used to carry mail, freight, and passengers. The locomotive, as its ownership changed, remained in Darlington from 1857, in later years on display at the Head of Steam museum in Darlington, in the same building as Darlington's North Road station. The Best Friend was destroyed by an explosion in 1831. Both replicas have whistles -- unknown in 1830 and Santee's also has a bell. Regrettably, this incident also gave theBest Friend of Charlestonanother place in history, as the first locomotive in the U.S. to suffer a boiler explosion. ProWrestlingIsClearlyReal 20 jan 2020. Copyright 2007-2023 American-Rails.com. This Train facts post has been going around, claiming that in 1825, the fireman aboard the Best Friend caused an explosion by sitting on a relief valve, because the sound annoyed him. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The locomotive was built for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company by the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, New York in 1830.