Talk:John Bull (locomotive)

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Featured article star John Bull (locomotive) is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do.
December 18, 2004 Featured article candidate Promoted
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Sel week 21, 2005
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Contents

[edit] Fetured article, no citations et cetera?

That would be highly unorthodox, yes? There also appear to be some examples of poor grammar, and parts read like a student essay instead of an encyclopedia article.

71.241.85.16 (talk) 05:36, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A more current photo?

 It is requested that a photograph or photographs of a contemporary picture of the locomotive be included in this article to improve its quality.

Wikipedians in Washington, D.C. may be able to help!
The Free Image Search Tool (FIST) may be able to locate suitable images on Flickr and other web sites.

Is there someone in the Washington DC area that can visit the museum and get a picture of the locomotive as it appears today for me? AdThanksVance. slambo 21:08, Dec 7, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] 2-4-0 vs 4-2-0 designation

As described in the "Mechanical Modifications and Early Exhibitions" paragraph: "Effectively, the John Bull became a 2-4-0 (a locomotive with two unpowered leading axles followed by one powered axle and no unpowered trailing axles)" Based on the descriptions at Whyte notation, 2-4-0, and 4-2-0; the parenthetical describes a 4-2-0.

http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/johnbull.htm also mentions that the John Bull was a 4-2-0 after modification.

I'm going to correct the article text as well as the category to reflect this. Munkee 17:02, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

I now see that someone not logged in changed it from 4-2-0 to 2-4-0 recently. Please don't change it back to 2-4-0 unless you can provide some evidence on the discussion page. Munkee 17:05, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

4-2-0 is the correct designation for the post-modification configuration as there were two leading axles and only one powered axle. Thanks for catching this. Slambo (Speak) 17:52, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
4-2-0? I would think (2-2)-2-0, maybe? The two unpowered axles are independent of each other. It's customary to write it as "4-2-0" only if the leading unpowered axles are on the same truck (bogie).
71.241.85.16 (talk) 05:38, 27 May 2008 (UTC)
That's the way it's listed in the reference material, so that's the way it's listed here. Slambo (Speak) 10:49, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Correct date on picture?

The last picture on the page, which appears to be a painting, not a photograph, mentions the date 1981. Is this correct, and, if so, to what does the date refer? Was it a depiction of a long-ago time which was painted in 1981? It hardly seems likely that the scene was supposed to depict the exhibit occuring the year 1981... -Grammaticus Repairo 17:07, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes the date is correct. The locomotive was restored and operated by technicians in period costume. Slambo (Speak) 17:17, 15 September 2007 (UTC)
This image really doesn't look like a photograph to me. Is it a painting? If so, why on earth would an artist create a painting of the locomotive being operated by techncians in period costumes that is inteded to depict the machine in the year 1981? -Grammaticus Repairo 18:50, 10 October 2007 (UTC)
It is not a painting, it is a photograph. The locomotive was restored and operated in 1981, the people operating the locomotive dressed up in period costume while they operated it. From [1]: "On September 15,1981, after considerable analysis, a careful examination by a boiler-inspection firm, and a 1980 trial run on a branchline track in Virginia, John Bull displayed its magic before a rapt audience. Belching fire and smoke under the care of White and colleague John Stine, the locomotive ran on the Old Georgetown Branch rails beside the C&O Canal in Washington." It is that run that was photographed and that photograph is reproduced here. There are two other photos from the run on that page too. Slambo (Speak) 10:56, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
It is the fact that this locomotive operated after 150 years from its construction that makes it especially notable. Slambo (Speak) 10:58, 11 October 2007 (UTC)