9781422283257

he was about 15, his par- ents, recognizing his in- telligence and talent, ar- ranged for him to travel to Scotland to undertake an apprenticeship in me- chanical engineering. Upon his return to Michigan, however, he found it impossible to find work as an engineer, despite his training and credentials. Although

Some antique engines still run on the power created by burning coal.

the Civil War had ended, racial prejudice was rampant, even in the North, and the only job he was offered was that of a fireman and oiler for the Michigan Central Railroad. His duties included shoveling coal at a rate of two tons an hour to fuel the steam engine and lubricate its moving parts; while some considered it an enviable job, because a fireman could sometimes be promoted to locomotive driv- er, it was backbreaking work—and a far cry from the more prestigious post for which he was qualified. McCoy, like any engineer, particularly disliked ineffi- cient systems, and he found it frustrating that the train had to be stopped frequently and the engine shut down before it could be oiled. He reasoned that it might be possible to pump oil to the spots at which it was needed with the help of steam pressure. Setting up a machine shop at his home in

Elijah McCoy

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