Cherepanov steam locomotive

Yefim Cherepanov and his son, Miron, were serfs to the Demidov family of factory-owners and developed several innovations while working for them. The pair had been building steam engines for many years, to pump water in the mines. Both of them had travelled to the United Kingdom separately, with Miron going in 1833. While he was there, he was noted with having inspected the steam locomotives there. However, Russian scholars insist that the steam locomotive was the Cherepanov's own invention and not a copy of the British model. == Construction and description ==

The first model of the locomotive was completed in 1834, after around six months of work within the duo's free time. In August of that year, people gathered to watch an exhibition of the locomotive on track that measured around 854 meters. The locomotive was noted to have transported 3.2 tons of cargo at a speed of around 15 kilometers per hour. That weight would have required around 50 to 60 workers to transport, and around 30 minutes. The locomotive was able to do it in four minutes. It was measured at 30 horsepower. Their second model, built in March 1835 and gifted to Saint Petersburg, improved upon those statistics, carrying a weight of around 1,000 poods at a speed of around 16.4 kilometers per hour. The first model stayed in the factory, on a two-kilometer track from the factory to a nearby mine. This track was the first steam railway in Russia. == Reception and aftermath ==

The development of the locomotive would give Yefim his freedom and Miron would be freed three years later. and the Polytechnic Museum. It was also featured on several postage stamps. == References ==