Globe Locomotive Works facts for kids

The Globe Locomotive Works was a company in Boston, Massachusetts that made steam locomotives and other big machines in the late 1800s. They built about 100 steam locomotives for railroads all over the United States.

One of their most famous locomotives was called the Elephant. This was a special train built in 1849. It was powered by burning wood and was a 4-4-0 type locomotive. The Elephant was the very first locomotive to travel west of the Rocky Mountains!

This famous train was later renamed the C.K. Garrison. It kept that name for about 15 years. Around 1870, it was renamed again to Pioneer. It's important not to confuse this Pioneer with another famous train of the same name that is now kept in Chicago.

From Locomotives to Steam Shovels

In 1864, the Globe Locomotive Works stopped making trains. The company was run by John Souther and D.A. Pickering. They decided to focus on building steam shovels instead. Steam shovels are large machines used for digging. After this change, the company became known as the Globe Works Company.