# 1006 - 1952 3¢ B. & O. Railroad
3¢ B&O Railroad
City: Baltimore, MD
Quantity: 112,540,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10½
Color: Bright blue
Tom Thumb Proves The Power Of Steam
In the early days of the railroads, most railroads were generally tracks on roads. Horses would pull wagons with special wheels designed to ride on the rails. The first steam-powered locomotives were built in England and shipped to the US. Though Americans soon began trying to develop their own steam locomotives.
Reportedly, on August 28, 1830, as Cooper was preparing the Tom Thumb for another test run, the driver of a passing horse-drawn car challenged him to a race. Accepting the challenge, the Tom Thumb easily pulled ahead early of the horse. However, when a belt slipped off the blower pulley, the engine lost power, allowing the horse-drawn car to win the race. In spite of this, the Tom Thumb’s early lead proved the speed that could be attained with a steam engine. The next year, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad began testing steam engines, giving birth to the locomotive industry in America.
Although a history-making engineering achievement, the Tom Thumb proved to be too small for permanent use and was later disassembled. However, Cooper wrote down a detailed description of the train, which allowed for the creation of replicas in later years. You can view photos of the replica here.
3¢ B&O Railroad
City: Baltimore, MD
Quantity: 112,540,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10½
Color: Bright blue
Tom Thumb Proves The Power Of Steam
In the early days of the railroads, most railroads were generally tracks on roads. Horses would pull wagons with special wheels designed to ride on the rails. The first steam-powered locomotives were built in England and shipped to the US. Though Americans soon began trying to develop their own steam locomotives.
Reportedly, on August 28, 1830, as Cooper was preparing the Tom Thumb for another test run, the driver of a passing horse-drawn car challenged him to a race. Accepting the challenge, the Tom Thumb easily pulled ahead early of the horse. However, when a belt slipped off the blower pulley, the engine lost power, allowing the horse-drawn car to win the race. In spite of this, the Tom Thumb’s early lead proved the speed that could be attained with a steam engine. The next year, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad began testing steam engines, giving birth to the locomotive industry in America.
Although a history-making engineering achievement, the Tom Thumb proved to be too small for permanent use and was later disassembled. However, Cooper wrote down a detailed description of the train, which allowed for the creation of replicas in later years. You can view photos of the replica here.