Background
Robert Livingston Stevens was born in New York City on October 18, 1787. He was the second son of John Stevens.
Robert Livingston Stevens was born in New York City on October 18, 1787. He was the second son of John Stevens.
He was trained by his father in mathematics and mechanics, proved an exceptionally able student, and at 17 helped his father build the first twin-screw steamboat.
In 1841 Robert Stevens and his brother, Edwin Augustus Stevens, designed for the United States Government the so-called Stevens Battery, an armor-plated vessel capable of withstanding the 64-lb. shot, the heaviest then in use. The two brothers managed their father's Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company, which later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1830 Robert Stevens went to England to procure equipment for their railroad, and, dissatisfied with the size of the English rails, designed the rail that has since become the universal standard. He also invented the hooked spike that holds the rails in place and made improvements in the current roadbed. His engine, the John Bull, made its first trip on November 12, 1831, although the line was not in operation until 1832. Stevens died in Hoboken, N. J. , on April 20, 1856.
