Freight Engine. New York & Erie R.R. An original drawing

Susquehanna Depot, 1855. Pencil, pen and ink. Signed in ink: "Theodore Krausch. Susquehana [sic] Depot. N.Y. and Erie Railroad. October 13, 1855." A very handsome drawing of a locomotive by a prominent inventor and engineer.

Theodore Krausch, dates unknown, was employed by what was then known as the New York and Erie Railroad at Susquehanna Depot where railway cars and locomotives were designed, built and repaired. The town in northeastern Pennsylvania, just below the New York border and Binghamton, came into existence with the coming of the railroad. Krausch, who obtained several patents during his life, (one for innovations in railway chair design), also received a Silver Medal from the American Institute of the City of New York for a drawing of a locomotive, no doubt similar to this one. During the 1850s, when railway lines and companies were spreading out across the country, each railroad customized its engines and cars to its specific needs. There was a large degree of standardization, and this Krausch drawing is a perfect rendition of the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and overall design that was used almost universally in 19th century America.