On August 8, 1829, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania witnessed something never seen before in America: the first locomotive to run on commercial rails. The engine was named the Stourbridge Lion. The iron contraption chugged down the track, belching steam, to the sound of cheers and booming cannon. This concise and lively history follows the Stourbridge Lion's journey from Stourbridge, England, where it was built, to Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where it made its historic run, marking the dawn of American railroading. Here is the story of the real little engine that could.

Illustrated by: Steven Walker