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 conical car wheels was a great forward step helping to solve the question of turning curves sharply. As early as 1831 the Rail Road Company offered a prize of $4,000 for the best locomotive offered for trial on the road. The "York" was the only engine of three offered that was capable of any good service. Up to June 1834, this engine, with the "Atlantic" and "Franklin" were the only locomotives on the road. Horse-cars were still in common use. By the fall of 1834, five more locomotives were added and eight more had been ordered.

Having passed through its darkest days of struggle with the Canal Company and with the vexatious problems of internal betterment of rolling stock and motive power, the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road was now in 1836, quite ready to take advantage of the provisions of the new law which made it possible to throw its gleaming rails up the Potomac from Harper's Ferry to Cumberland and on to the coveted Ohio Basin. With the momentous question represented by the locomotive once solved