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Can I let off steam?

9th July 1976, Page 49
9th July 1976
Page 49
Page 49, 9th July 1976 — Can I let off steam?
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

May I take your book reviewer to task for his criticism of Maurice Kelly's book —The Undertype Steam Road Wagon, particularly in respect of his accusation that the author's approach to the steam vehicle concept is blinkered.

To quote from the book, Mr Kelly says : "It is unfortunate that the British motor industry no longer interest themselves in steam-driven vehicles, but appear to think that the lethargic electric car or truck may one day be the answer to enviromental nuisances?'

To take the first part of this quotation, let us remember that the S type Sentinel of the 1930s had a performance far above any comparable internal-combustion rival of the period, and could complete a journey in far less time, even allowing water stops.

With a four-cylinder engine of just over 5 litres capacity, they could develop over 125 bhp, the only part which badly needed development was the boiler, or more correctly, what was needed was a modern sophisticated ,steam generator, as the oldfashioned concept of a heavy boiler full of water was by then already long out of date.

A modern flash steam generator, fuelled by low grade pulverised coal, using fluidisedbed techniques, ha 's in fact already been developed though not for road use), and the problems of condensing equipment, cutting out to a large extent the necessity to stop for water, were well on the way to being solved when war broke out.

As for Mr Kelly's opinion of electric vehicles, I find it hard to accept that the brand new milk float, or bread van that baulks my progress is any more efficient, or less lethargic, than the ancient solid-tyred vans which Messrs Harrods used for urban deliveries when I was a schoolboy 40 years ago.

We frequently read about the electric vehicle being the transport of the future, all that we are waiting for is the development of the fuel cell, or a breakthrough in lightweight high-capacity storage, but any practical outcome still appears to be a long time in the future, and even then it can most probably only be of use to the smaller classes of delivery vehicle, so all in all, I doubt if Mr Kelly's remarks are particularly bigoted.

E. G. CORKE London

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