The Lion (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
The Lion is a historic train locomotive
at the Maine State Museum
in Augusta, Maine
, USA.
The train was built by Hinkley & Drury (Hinkley Locomotive Works
) in 1846. The Lion operated as a working locomotive until 1890. It was sold in 1897 to Thoman Towle of Portland, Maine
. It was then purchased by the City of Portland and appeared in the 1898 Fourth of July parade. The Lion was give to the University of Maine in 1905 and was displayed and owned by the University until 1985 when it was given to the Maine State Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976. The Lion is the oldest American built locomotive in New England.
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
at the Maine State Museum
Maine State Museum
The Maine State Museum is the official Maine government's museum and is located at 230 State Street, adjacent to the Maine State House, in Augusta. The State Museum has a large collection of Maine-related topics. The Lion is displayed at the museum and is the oldest American-made locomotive in New...
in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
, USA.
The train was built by Hinkley & Drury (Hinkley Locomotive Works
Hinkley Locomotive Works
Hinkley Locomotive Works was one of a number of railroad steam locomotive manufacturers of the United States in the 19th century.-History:The company that was to become known as Hinkley Locomotive Works got its start in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1831. Holmes Hinkley and his partner Daniel F...
) in 1846. The Lion operated as a working locomotive until 1890. It was sold in 1897 to Thoman Towle of Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. It was then purchased by the City of Portland and appeared in the 1898 Fourth of July parade. The Lion was give to the University of Maine in 1905 and was displayed and owned by the University until 1985 when it was given to the Maine State Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976. The Lion is the oldest American built locomotive in New England.