Baldwin Locomotive Works built the steam locomotive “Old Ironsides” in 1832 and was the first locomotive constructed by Baldwin.
It was completed and successfully tested on November 23, 1832, on the Philadelphia, Germantown & Norristown Railroad, where it operated for more than 20 years.
“Old Ironsides” had a 2-2-0 wheel arrangement and ran on standard gauge tracks. It weighed more than five tons (12,000 pounds) and featured four 54-inch (1.4 m) diameter driving wheels. Its cylinders measured nine-and-a-half inches (24 cm) in bore by 18 inches (46 cm) in stroke.
Its wheels had heavy cast iron hubs, wooden spokes and rims, and wrought iron tires, while the outside frame was wood. The 30-inch (0.76 m) diameter boiler took approximately 20 minutes to raise steam, and its top speed was 28 mph (45 km/h).
In about 1846, the railroad returned “Old Ironsides” to Baldwin as partial payment for a new locomotive. “Old Ironsides” remained in some service until at least 1869, after which it disappeared.
