Letter from Gertrude M Holmes, New Jersey to Robert Young

15 North Broad Street Elizabeth New Jersey
Jan 30th
My dear Robert
At last & just in time to keep my promise. I have news of the Horatio Allen memoir a small pamphlet which was written for the Railroad & Engineering Journal.
I find no reference to Mr Jervis visiting England - I have spent much time in reading so know all the Locomotive News - In 1828 Mr Jervis Mr Jervis writes to Mr Allen

[Reverse of Page 1]
instructions to go to England then to purchase four locomotives, giving very exact detail as to what they should be, & also to learn all he could of railroads etc.
George Stephenson met him ^Mr Allen^ & took him to see all of the S&D – & also Newcastle. Mr Allen describes locomotives with revolving chains & also an exhaust pipe which opens into the chimney & burns up within it - but the valve of the steam blast was not then recognised.
Three locomotives were ordered from Forster & Raistrick of the S&D type – one of these was the first ever run in America - then follows a description of the roadway and
[Page 2]
the wheels of the locomotives & carriages to facilitate their turning on curves; & experimented in 1831 devising some means to substitute four wheels for two, as the leading wheels of a locomotive, & finally made a plan, by which the forward end of the locomotive was supported by an independent sort of carriage, consisting of four wheels placed near each other revolving under the main frame of the engine which rested mainly on the outside timber on friction rollers supported in its lateral

[Reverse of Page 2]
position on the frame of the independent carriage by a centre pin, this carriage a substitute for the wheels formerly used,’ (I have copied this exactly word for word (no indication of where quotation begins).
A locomotive was made in this plan in 1832 called the ‘Experiment’ – for the Mohawk & Hudson R C.
Mr Allen’s double truck engine was in 1831 – one year earlier – Mr Jervis before his death wrote claiming that the truck he introduced is the one universally used – ‘The evidence seems to be that Mr Allen first introduced the

[Page 3]
decision in favor of locomotive power as against horses -
In Oct 1834 a patent was granted to Msrs Vivians for 8 wheeled cars with two trucks – the plan was used by Newcastle & Frenchton Turnpike Co – who however denied the validity of patent & was the beginning of 20 years litigation, finally in1858 it was settled by a decision of the Supreme Court – in favor of the railroad, which in summing up said the use of a truck in connection with steam carriages was distinctly suggested in the English Patent granted to Wm. Edward Chaplin (this should read ‘Chapman’) in Dec 1812, tho’ there is no evidence this was ever put into practical use - Mr Detmole testified that in the winter of 1830 – 1831 ‘I assisted Mr Allen in making drawings of the double truck steam carriages, these were put into operation in Jan 1831’. The same volume of testimony also contains that of John B Jervis who claimed he had invented the locomotive truck; in which he says ‘(Quotation marks do not appear at the end of this quote) My attention has been particularly directed to the arrangement of

[Reverse of Page 3]
truck & suggested its use to Mr Jervis who applied it –absolute proof of this cannot evidently be had - In another place I find this statement from Mr Jervis ‘I invented a new plan of frame with a bearing carriage for a Locomotive Engine in the end of 1831 – constructed & put to work in 1832 –
In all of this there are definite instructions from Mr Jervis as Chief engineer of the road to Mr Allen – but nowhere do I find mention of him going over himself – probably the mistake was made in confusing his instructions to Mr Allen with the going over himself -
I don’t know if this is the information you wanted but in the memoire I have tried to group it as respecting locomotives - & given you the gist of it – many drawings of early locomotives – I wish I could get you a copy of it – I have not yet given up –
I hope the new year is treating you all well, here there is no winter more like early spring – I send you all my love.
affectionately . Gertrude M Holmes