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The history of the railroad symbolizes America's past, when the Industrial Age created a renaissance of human progress, and the steam engine opened up a continent. At the time, each locomotive took on a character of its own, stirring engineers to give them colorful names. The "Best Friend of Charleston" carried passengers along the South Carolina railway, while the "Stourbridge Lion" roared its way to the Pennsylvania coal mines. The "John Bull" served the New Jersey line as early as 1831, and proved to be one of the most durable of the early engines used in America. This trusty locomotive was pulled out of retirement in 1893 for a trip to the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago. "John Bull" exemplified the glory of the railroads in ways less hardy predecessors could not. Thus, when the Smithsonian Institution sought to capture the excitement of the railroad era, "John Bull" was the engine of choice. Today, it is the oldest locomotive preserved in the United States.

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