science

The Lion (locomotive)

The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive) rather than just read about it. In short: The Lion is a historic steam locomotive at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine, USA. Built in 1846 for use on a logging railroad, it is the oldest known American-built locomotive in New England.

Key takeaways

The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Lion (locomotive) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Lion is a historic steam locomotive at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine, USA. Built in 1846 for use on a logging railroad, it is the oldest known American-built locomotive in New England. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Description The Lion is set on display, prominently located near the entrance to the Maine State Museum. Its main frame is 12.5 feet (3.8 m) long and 7 feet 4.5 inches (2.248 m) wide, made of solid oak timbers with iron strapping. Mounted on this frame is a five-section boiler, with a dry steam dome near its center from which steam is piped to the steam chest and then to the pistons. The boiler and cylinders were insulated with a thin layer of wood, which was covered by a thin layer of iron. The main stack is located at the front and has an unusual inverted cone shape, intended to deflect sparks and cinders from the exhaust. It has been stated that the Lion cost originally $2,700, exclusive of the tender. The bore and stroke of its cylinders are 9+1⁄2 and 17 in (240 and 430 mm) respectively, with the four driving wheels being 42+1⁄2 in (1.08 m). The locomotive alone weighs 9 short tons (8.2 t; 8.0 long tons).

History The locomotive was built by Hinkley & Drury (Hinkley Locomotive Works) in 1846 as the Lion for the Machiasport Railroad of eastern Maine. 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 given to the University of Maine at Machias 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.

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Lion (locomotive)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Lion (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 The Lion (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 The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive)

In research: The Lion (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 The Lion (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: The Lion (locomotive) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1846 works, Early steam locomotives, Former National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Maine, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Lion (locomotive) in simple terms?

The Lion is a historic steam locomotive at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine, USA. Built in 1846 for use on a logging railroad, it is the oldest known American-built locomotive in New England.

Why does The Lion (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 The Lion (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 The Lion (locomotive).