Railroad Meets Roller Coaster !
1829 Stephenson’s Rocket steam locomotive replica steals the show!
This silent comedy called “Our Hospitality” filmed back in 1923 shows a replica of this British locomotive being used in a comedy sketch starring the famous Buster Keaton. This silent film used english subtitles and made $537,844 at the box office which was considered a great success.
Notice that the locomotive is using wood rather than coal for the fire box and had a single pair of driving wheels.
The Rocket locomotive was actually operated by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
The Stephenson Rocket weighed almost 9,500 pounds and could reach speeds of a whopping 28 MPH!
Some quick facts about the Stephenson Rocket steam locomotive.
- Builder – Robert Stephenson and Company – Forth Street Works – Newcastle, England
- Build date – 1829
- wheel arrangement – 0-2-2
- driver diameters – 4ft 8 1/2 inches
- Locomotive weight – 4 tons
- 2 outside cylinders – 8inch x 17inch
- Maximum speede 28 MPH
Let us know what you think of this classic piece of film history! We would love to hear you comments !
