Other Steam Omnibuses.
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The steam omnibus is by no means dead. There has, during the last few months, beenmuch activity amongst designers and builders, whilst it is only pressure of business in other directions which has prevented Fodens, Ltd., of Sandbach, from presenting a new steam bus to the public. Bellis and Morcom, Ltd., of Birmingham, is also engaged on a steam-driven, passenger vehicle, and the long-expected DarracqSerpollet buses are now making their appearance in London. Again, we have Clarkson redivivus.
We reproduced, on page 48 of last week's issue, a photograph of the interior of one of the Darracq-Serpellet vehicles, which are run by the Metropolitan Steam Omnibus Co., Ltd., of Down Place, Hammersmith, W. (to which company further reference is made on this, and the previous page), and we illustrate herewith a steamdriven char-a-bancs which one of our topresentatives met on the road between Leeds and Wakefield during the time of the trials.
The last-named vehicle has been built by the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Company, of Leeds, to the design of Mr. George H. Mann. It is purely an experimental machine; hence its somewhat unfinished appearance. The body provides seating accommodation for 2s persons. The vertical, fire-tube boiler is fired by crude oil, which is sprayed on to a bed of incandescent coke. The coke bed only requires replenishing to the extent of two shovelsfull, about once in 12 or is miles. The compound engine has cylinders
inches and 7 inches in diameter, with a piston-stroke of 7.1 inches.
The method of driving on to the rear wheels is somewhat novel : from the crankshaft, a spur pinion drives a differential countershaft, and, on the outer ends of this shaft, bevel pinions are fitted. The drive is thence transmitted through bevel-driven propellershafts to large bevel-rings fixed on the rear. wheels. Thus, a double-bevel
drive takes the place of the ordinary side-chain drive. All the bevels are completely enclosed, and run in oil.
Although our representative had no time to see this machine under full load, he had the opportunity of observing the rapidity with which it could increase its head of steam when the fuel regulator was manipulated. The tall, tubular structure in front of the vehicle is an efficient condenser.