USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On August 28, 1830, Peter Cooper’s locomotive carried the B&O directors in a passenger car to Ellicott’s Mills. To the amazement of the passengers, the locomotive traveled at an impressive speed of 10-14 miles per hour. The locomotive was later given the name “Tom Thumb” because of its small size and weight.

Detailed explanation-2: -A switcher (American English) or shunter (British English), is a type of small locomotive used for maneuvering railway vehicles over short distances. Switchers do not usually move trains over long distances, instead they typically assemble trains in order for another locomotive to take over.

Detailed explanation-3: -General Tom Thumb, pseudonym of Charles Stratton, (born January 4, 1838, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.-died July 15, 1883, Middleboro, Massachusetts), American showman noted for his small stature. He was the first major attraction promoted by the circus impresario P.T. Barnum.

Detailed explanation-4: -The ‘Tom Thumb, ’ constructed by Peter Cooper in 1829, was the first locomotive to be built in America. “The real victory was with Mr. Cooper, ” Latrobe told his audience in 1868. Hitching its future to steam power, the B&O in January 1831 advertised a $4, 000 prize for the development of a more robust engine.