Rocket (Reading Railroad Locomotive)

The Rocket is a historic steam locomotive built in 1838 by the London-based firm Braithwaite, Milner & Company. It was imported for use by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, becoming one of the earliest steam locomotives to operate in the United States. It remains a significant artifact as one of the few surviving British-built locomotives of its era in North America.

History and Service

The Rocket was the third locomotive acquired by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. During the 1830s, it was common for American railroads to procure British-built engines through third-party agents. The locomotive was manufactured in London, dismantled for ocean transport, and shipped to Philadelphia in crates, accompanied by the necessary schematics for reassembly. Upon its arrival in March 1838, it was transported via the Schuylkill Canal to Reading, Pennsylvania. The engine entered service in May 1838, participating in the inauguration of the Reading–Pottstown line, and began regular passenger operations in July of that year.

As locomotive technology advanced rapidly during the mid-19th century, the Rocket was relegated to maintenance of way duties in 1845. By the time of its retirement in 1879, the locomotive had logged 310,164 miles of service. Following its retirement, the engine was refurbished in 1893, receiving a black paint scheme with green wheels for exhibition at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Throughout the 20th century, it was displayed at various events, including the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the 1927 Fair of the Iron Horse.

Preservation

In 1933, the Reading Railroad placed the Rocket on loan to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where it remained for nearly a century. Following the bankruptcy of the Reading Railroad in the 1970s, the locomotive was eventually acquired by Conrail. In August 2023, as part of a facility re-imagining, the Rocket was removed from the Franklin Institute. Despite the building having been constructed around the engine, it was successfully hoisted out by crane and relocated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, where it remains on static display.