The John Bull is the locomotive preserved by the Smithsonian and recognized as the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world.
Built by Robert Stephenson and Company in England in 1831, it was purchased for New Jersey’s Camden and Amboy Railroad. The railroad initially called it “Stevens,” after president Robert L. Stevens, and used it extensively before retiring it in 1866. Its nickname, John Bull, became the name by which it is now known.
The Smithsonian acquired the locomotive in 1884. After decades largely on static display, specialists restored it to operating condition. It ran under its own steam in Washington, D.C., on September 15, 1981, its 150th anniversary, earning the distinction of the world’s oldest operable steam locomotive.
The claim refers to the preserved original’s ability to operate, not to continuous service. The original is now displayed at the National Museum of American History; an operable replica built in 1939 is preserved separately in Pennsylvania.