George Stephenson, Replica of "BlÌ_cher", 1892
Replica of Stephenson's "BlÌ_cher", built for the St. Louis Exposition of 1892. The original's wheels would certainly have been cast-iron and not built up like these. BlÌ_cher (often spelled Blutcher) was built by George Stephenson in 1814 which helped establish his reputation as an engine designer. It could pull a train of 30 tons at a speed of 4 mph up a gradient of 1 in 450. Stephenson measured its performance and realized that overall it saved little money compared with the use of horses, even though the price of corn was at an all-time high because of the wars. BlÌ_cher's performance was described in "Annals of Philosophy" 1814: "The experiment succeeded so well at Leeds, that a similar engine has been erected at Newcastle, about a mile north from that town. It moves at the rate of three miles an hour, dragging after it 14 waggons, loaded each with about two tons of coals; so that in this case the expense of 14 horses is saved by the substitution of the steam-engine". BlÌ_cher did not survive: Stephenson recycled its parts as he developed more advanced models.
Size: 3673px × 3750px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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