STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BALVIR SINGH
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Designates "John Bull" as NJ State steam locomotive.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act designating the "John Bull" as the New Jersey State steam locomotive.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The steam locomotive "John Bull" was shipped disassembled from Liverpool, England to Bordentown, New Jersey arriving on September 4, 1831 and was assembled by Isaac Dripps, who later became a respected locomotive mechanical officer, as well as a partner in the Trenton Locomotive Works.
b. On November 12, 1831, the "John Bull" pulled several cars containing members of the New Jersey State Legislature up and down a short length of track to convince the distinguished passengers of the utility of steam railway transport.
c. From 1833 to the late 1840s, the "John Bull" was employed in regular service, first between South Amboy and Bordentown and later between South Amboy and Camden.
d. Although at nearly 15 feet long and 7 feet wide, it was small compared to the larger and more powerful steam locomotives that were to follow in the years to come, however, during the 1830s, the "John Bull" was a model for similar engines built by the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company of Hoboken, New Jersey.
e. Considered an antique by 1858, the "John Bull" was very likely the first engine to be set aside as a historic relic in the United States and its importance as such is measured by the fact that it was renovated for and exhibited at the Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876 and later moved to the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. where it remains to this day.
f. To recognize the importance of this steam locomotive to the history of transportation in this State, it is fitting and proper to designate the "John Bull" as the New Jersey State steam locomotive.
2. The "John Bull" is designated as the New Jersey State steam locomotive.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill designates the "John Bull" as the New Jersey State steam locomotive.
The steam locomotive “John Bull” was shipped from Liverpool, England to Bordentown, New Jersey arriving in September 1831 and was assembled by Isaac Dripps, a subsequent partner in the Trenton Locomotive Works, who installed an extra pair of wheels to the front, significantly reducing the risk of derailment over United States terrain.
In November 1831, the “John Bull” pulled several cars containing members of the New Jersey State Legislature up and down a short length of track to convince the distinguished passengers of the utility of steam railway transport.
From 1833 to the late 1840s the “John Bull” operated between South Amboy and Bordentown and later South Amboy and Camden, providing a railway connection between Philadelphia and New York, the country’s two largest cities at the time.
The “John Bull” served as a model for similar engines built by the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company of Hoboken, New Jersey and enabled United States engineers to export locomotives to other countries with similar terrain.
Considered an antique by 1858, the "John Bull" was likely the first engine to be set aside as a historic relic in the United States as measured by the fact that it was renovated and exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia and later moved to the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. where it remains to this day.
It is thus fitting and proper to recognize the importance of the “John Bull” to New Jersey, the United States, and the world by designating the "John Bull" as the New Jersey State steam locomotive.