A History of the Growth of the Steam-EngineThurston, Robert Henry
History
A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine
Thurston, Robert Henry
Steam-engines -- History
In 1835 a large carriage, the "Erin," was completed, which was
intended to carry 20 passengers. It towed three omnibuses and a
stage-coach, with 50 passengers, on a level road, at the speed of 10
miles an hour. It drew an omnibus with 18 passengers through
Whitehall, Charing Cross, and Regent Street, and out to Brentford,
running 14 miles an hour. It ran also to Reading, making 38 miles,
with the same load, in 3 hours and 8 minutes running time. The stops
_en route_ occupied a half-hour. The same carriage made 75 miles to
Marlborough in 7-1/2 hours running time, stopping 4-1/2 hours on the
road, in consequence of having left the tender and supplies behind.
In May, 1836, Hancock put all his carriages on the Paddington road,
and ran regularly for over five months, running 4,200 miles in 525
trips to Islington, 143 to Paddington, and 44 to Stratford, passing
through the city over 200 times. The carriages averaged 5 hours and 17
or 18 minutes daily running time. A light steam-phaeton, built in
1838, for his own use, made 20 miles an hour, and was driven about the
city, and among horses and carriages, without causing annoyance or
danger. Its usual speed was about 10 miles an hour. Altogether,
Hancock built nine steam-carriages, capable of carrying 116 passengers
in addition to the regular attendants.[47]
[47] For a detailed account of the progress of steam on the highway,
_see_ "Steam on Common Roads," etc., by Young, Holley, & Fisher,
London, 1861.
In December, 1833, about 20 steam-carriages and traction road-engines
were running, or were in course of construction, in and near London.
In our own country, the roughness of roads discouraged inventors;
and in Great Britain even, the successful introduction of
road-locomotives, which seemed at one time almost an accomplished
fact, finally met with so many obstacles, that even Hancock, the most
ingenious, persistent, and successful constructor, gave up in despair.
Hostile legislation procured by opposing interests, and the rapid
progress of steam-locomotion on railroads, caused this result.
In consequence of this interruption of experiment, almost nothing was
done during the succeeding quarter of a century, and it is only within
a few years that anything like a business success has been founded
upon the construction of road-locomotives, although the scheme seems
to have been at no time entirely given up.
The opposition of coach-proprietors, and of all classes having an
interest in the old lines of coaches, was most determined, and the
feeling evinced by them was intensely bitter; but the advocates of the
new system of transportation were equally determined and persevering,
and, having right on their side, and the pecuniary advantage of the
public as their object, they would probably have succeeded ultimately,
except for the introduction of the still better method of
transportation by rail.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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