science

Onward (locomotive)

Onward (locomotive) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Onward (locomotive) rather than just read about it. In short: The steam locomotive Onward had polygonal driving wheels. This rather ineffective locomotive with only one driving axle was built in 1887 by the Hinkley Locomotive Works in Boston for the Swinerton Locomotive Driving Wheel Company.

Key takeaways

Onward (locomotive) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Onward (locomotive) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Onward (locomotive) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The steam locomotive Onward had polygonal driving wheels. This rather ineffective locomotive with only one driving axle was built in 1887 by the Hinkley Locomotive Works in Boston for the Swinerton Locomotive Driving Wheel Company.

History In 1887, the Swinerton Locomotive Driving Wheel Company in the United States received a unique locomotive boldly called Onward, which had been built by the Hinkley Locomotive Works of Boston. Its unique feature was that its wheels were not round. The company's founder, C. E. Swinerton, had specified that both driving wheels should actually be polygons with 118 sides, each flat segment being about 2 inches (51 millimetres) long. He sought to demonstrate that the line contact at each segment's junction would have higher rail adhesion than a circular wheel, which was only meant to have a point contact. However this was actually not the case, as even steel deforms under enough pressure, so there is in fact a contact area even with a circular wheel. The 4-2-2 locomotive had one single driving axle. This wheel arrangement had largely been abandoned elsewhere because of its poor adhesion, but was probably chosen to emphasize the effectiveness of the invention. The Onward was tried on several north-eastern lines, but did not prove to be beneficial, and thus failed to convince practical railway men. It is likely that the non-constant radius would have caused tremendous amount of vibration. It was sold to the Portland & Rochester Railroad (P&R) after the polygonal driving wheels had been replaced with conventional round ones. After a few years, the P&R sent it to the Manchester Locomotive Works for reconstruction as an ordinary eight-wheeler. Onward was scrapped in 1905.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Onward (locomotive)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Onward (locomotive) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Onward (locomotive) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Onward (locomotive) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Onward (locomotive)

In research: Onward (locomotive) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Onward (locomotive) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Onward (locomotive) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 4-2-2 locomotives, Individual locomotives of the United States, Railway locomotives introduced in 1887, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Onward (locomotive) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Onward (locomotive) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Onward (locomotive) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Onward (locomotive) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Onward (locomotive) in simple terms?

Why does Onward (locomotive) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Onward (locomotive)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Onward (locomotive).