Morris & Essex “Orange”

The inventor Seth Boyden, who had already made a name for himself in the field of leather and metalworking, also got into locomotive construction in 1837. The first of the two locomotives he built was the Orange, destined for the Morris & Essex Railroad. It was the first locomotive ever to be built in the state of New Jersey.

It had a 4-2-0 wheel arrangement with a leading bogie and a firebox in front of the driving axle. Boyden designed the very simple valve gear with a special reversing device. For the first time in history, the cylinders were mounted directly on the outside of the frame below the smoke box, which later became standard on almost all American steam locomotives. They had an exceptionally long stroke, almost three times the diameter.

The locomotive was first tested on August 1, 1837 and went into commercial service on September 23. Without counterweights, the running smoothness probably left a lot to be desired due to the large masses going back and forth. Nevertheless, it was considered a success and was in use for a number of years.