The Best Friend of Charleston is widely considered the first steam-powered railroad locomotive built entirely in the United States for revenue service.
It was also the first locomotive in the United States to suffer a boiler explosion.
The West Point Foundry of New York built the locomotive for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company in 1830. It arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, in October of that year after being disassembled for shipment by boat.
Unofficially named The Best Friend of Charleston, it made its inaugural run on Christmas Day and was used in regular passenger service along a six-mile demonstration route in Charleston. At the time, it was considered one of the fastest modes of transport, whisking passengers at speeds of fifteen to twenty-five miles per hour.
