Earliest possible steam-powered train?

Let me know if someone posted this before.

A train has to have a steam engine to run it.

Assuming that a Newcomen engine is too weak for the job(I long to be face-slapped for this assumption), this question can be paraphrased as:

When is the earliest possible Watt-ish engine given the technological realities of the day. Was the time gap between Newcomen engine and Watt engine (around half a century) purely caused by people not having the idea of inventing it?

In other words, if I bring the Watt engine blueprint to Thomas Newcomen, would the invention of the new steam engine still be hampered by technological shortcomings like, say, metalworking technologies of the day? What are the obstacles?

And how long it would take to change it from a waterpump to a method of transportation?

Is the rail a problem?
 
Big question. Does the steam engine have to be mobil?. After all there is no reason why a stationary one pulling cables can not be used. It is steam powered and it is moving a train.
 
First: Word of advice, while I don't frequent here much anymore, bumping your thread twice within eight minutes is generally considered bad form by most people.

Second: I would recommend James Burke's Connections series (particularly, the episode 'Thunder in the Sky' available on youtube) for some insight as to how steam technology developed.
 
Well, you might be able to get a steam locomotive in the early 1790's. I forget the exact year, but John Fitch built a small steam locomotive and demonstrated it before then president Washington. His goal was to get funds to build a full size locomotive and a railroad to supply the old north west, but Washington rejected the idea. Give Fitch his funding, and you got America building its steam powered rail system in the 1790's instead of the early 1830's.

Also of note, this little locomotive still existed in the 1940's, and probably today. It may still be at the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society Museum in Columbus. Don't expect to see her though, she is gathering dust on a stairway landing leading to the basement.

fig3.jpg
 
Would be interesting to see how well that would actually work. And where the funding would come from - the national government in the 1790s isn't exactly swimming in wealth.
 
Would be interesting to see how well that would actually work. And where the funding would come from - the national government in the 1790s isn't exactly swimming in wealth.

Emm, The US, of course not.
France? One of the reason for their revolution was budget so no.
Austria?
Prussia? (Given their later expertise in train building)
Russia?
And Britain of course.
Someone must have the money.
 
First: Word of advice, while I don't frequent here much anymore, bumping your thread twice within eight minutes is generally considered bad form by most people.

Second: I would recommend James Burke's Connections series (particularly, the episode 'Thunder in the Sky' available on youtube) for some insight as to how steam technology developed.

Thank you for the warning and the recommendation.
 
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