n 1829 Hancock built a small ten-seater bus called the Infant,
with which in 1831 he began a regular service between Stratford and
London. It was powered by an oscillating engine carried on an outrigger
behind the back axle. The boiler was vertical and made up of a series of
narrow parallel water chambers. A fire was situated beneath the boiler
and the fire was fanned by bellows worked by the engine. There was a
hopper to feed in the coke.
The steam carriage designed and built by Dr Church of Birmingham in
1832/33. The carriage operated on a daily basis between Birmingham and
London, at an average speed of 14 miles per hour. It had an unusual
design, with three solid wheels, and could carry 44 passengers, 22
inside the carriage and 22 outside.
A View in Regent's Park, 1831', 1828. Steam-powered coaches, horses,
tricycles, including one with body like a teapot, are speeding along or
blowing up and causing traffic chaos in Regent's Park, London. Aquatint
after Henry Alken (1774-1851).
- According to reports in both The Engineer and The Autocar in November 1895, which only show this steam-powered machine from the other side, John Inshaw from the Aston Manor area of Birmingham, seen here at the helm, said that he built this carriage in 1881. As the plate on the side of it gives an 1882 date, the earlier date is probably when construction began, rather than that of completion, a not uncommon situation with pioneer machinery that took a while to build.
- Interesting how in 1830 males were wearing the exact same top hats. Fashion stagnation, or what?
Jack Wright and His Electric Stage; or, Leagued Against the James Boys by SenarensHow this amazing so-called "innovation" was popular between 1820, and 1840, after which it was driven out of business by trains, and... opposition from operators of horse-drawn coaches. We are witnessing one of those weird instances, when a technology advancement lost out to an inferior mode of transportation.
- Of course, I'm being facetious with my assessment of the situation. Once again we are being fed a load of BS pertaining to pre-1850s.
- 1880s companies like De Dion-Bouton probably capitalized on that 1830s tech later on.
Linkshttps://www.stolenhistory.org/threads/early-19th-century-highway-steam-locomotives-related-laws-and-roads.1321/
