Steam locomotive

A railway locomotive that uses a steam engine to turn its wheels, typically producing steam by burning coal, wood, or oil to heat water.

Firebox: An enclosed chamber where fuel burns to heat a steam locomotive’s boiler. Fuel burns here, supplying the heat that raises boiler water to steam.
Railway track: A prepared route of rails and supporting structure that guides and carries railway vehicles. Steel wheels transfer the locomotive’s weight and traction to this running surface.
Richard Trevithick: A British engineer who built early high-pressure steam engines and a pioneering railway locomotive. His 1804 locomotive demonstrated steam haulage on an industrial tramway.
Goods locomotive: A locomotive designed primarily to haul freight trains, often emphasizing pulling power over speed. Freight service favored the tractive effort and operating characteristics of these designs.
Diesel locomotive: A locomotive powered by a diesel engine, usually transmitting power mechanically or electrically to its wheels. Diesel traction replaced steam on many railways through simpler operation and reduced servicing.
Locomotive boiler: A pressure vessel that transfers heat from combustion gases to water, producing steam. Its heated water supplies the steam that powers the engine.
Adhesion railway: A railway in which wheel-to-rail friction provides the force needed to move trains. The locomotive’s driving wheels rely on rail adhesion to pull a train.
Pen-y-Darren locomotive: Richard Trevithick’s 1804 steam locomotive, built to haul iron on a Welsh tramway. It was an early demonstration of a steam locomotive hauling a load on rails.
Express locomotive: A locomotive designed to haul fast passenger trains over main lines. High-speed passenger service drove distinctive wheel arrangements and boiler designs.
Electric locomotive: A locomotive powered by electricity supplied by an external system or onboard energy storage. Electric traction avoids carrying a fire and boiler, but depends on electrical infrastructure or storage.

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