We just learned about the Locomotion No. 1.
Another part of how steam locomotives work is the Fire-Tube Boiler.
A boiler is a big tank of water that is heated up to where the water boils and turns to steam.
There are a lot of different kinds of boilers, and the one called a fire-tube boiler was the one most used by steam locomotives to run the engine.
It's called a fire-tube boiler because there are a bunch of metal tubes that take in heat from a fire and then the heated up tubes make the water hot.
The hot water then turns to steam that is used with a steam pump to drive the gears that turn the wheels of the train.
(from: wikipedia - fire-tube boiler)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Motor