author
Matthias N. (Matthias Nace) Forney
1835–1908
Best known for creating the Forney locomotive, he helped shape the look and function of American steam railroading in the 19th century. He was also a respected engineering editor whose writing made complex locomotive design easier to understand.
1 Audiobook
Catechism of the locomotive
by Matthias N. (Matthias Nace) Forney, Georg Kosak
About the author
Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, in 1835, Matthias Nace Forney became one of the most noted American steam locomotive designers of his era. He apprenticed under locomotive builder Ross Winans, later worked as a draftsman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and went on to develop the tank locomotive design that became widely known as the Forney type.
His locomotives were especially important to urban rail service, including the elevated railroads of New York City before they changed to electric power. Beyond his engineering work, he built a second career in publishing, serving as an editor for Railroad Gazette and later leading railroad and engineering journals of his own.
Forney was also a founding member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His book Catechism of the Locomotive, first published in the 1870s, became an influential guide to steam locomotive construction and helped secure his reputation as both a practical engineer and a clear technical writer.