Chapter 14

The Stanley Steam Car

This car, called the Locomobile by the makers, who have appropriated the French term for “portable engine,” hails from the States. It is shown in fig. 46, and a photograph in fig. 47. It is worked by an extremely light steam engine and boiler; the boiler is vertical, of copper, strengthened by being wound round with pianoforte wire; it contains about 300 tubes. Benzoline or petrol is used as fuel, and is burned in a burner of peculiar construction, which requires a preliminary heating. On the steam rising above the working pressure the flame is automatically reduced. The cylindrical vessel in front of the car under the footboard contains the petrol; a pressure gauge shows the air pressure, pressure being required to force the liquid fuel to the burners. This pressure is maintained by a pump worked by the engine, or is pumped up as required by an ordinary cycle tyre-inflating pump. The engines are ordinary simple engines, with link motion reversing gear, and the connecting rod and crankshaft are fitted with ball bearings. The handles at driver's side are the steam valve and reversing levers. On the right side of the boiler is the glass water gauge. As it is quite out of the driver’s sight, a mirror, set at the proper angle on the dashboard, shows the height of the water in the boiler.

The engines drive the live axle by the usual pitch chain. In the drawing the engines and boiler are seen underneath the seat; behind the latter is the water tank; water for about twenty miles is carried. In the carriages sold in England the steam is condensed by passing it into a Clarkson cooler, which is described in a later chapter. No attempt is made to return this condensed water to the feed tank; it is simply allowed to escape on to the road.

The steering is either by a long tiller or by a lever pivoted near the driver’s elbow.

These cars have not been in use in England long enough to form any opinion as to their durability; they are quiet, and good hill-climbers. A burner for heavy oil (Clarkson and Capel’s patent) has been introduced to obviate the use of the benzoline or petrol, not only on the score of increased safety, but of expense.

Several copies of the Stanley steamer have been imported into England. Some seem to have decided improvements on the original type.

A light steam car was exhibited at the Richmond Show of the Automobile Club in 1899 by Messrs. Clarkson and Capel. It had two flash boilers, i.e. boilers in which the water was rapidly turned to steam, as in the Serpollet, heated with heavy oil, and a six-cylinder single-acting engine, but the car has not yet been put on the market.

The steam cars of the Liquid Fuel Co., of East Cowes, generally known as the “Lifu,” would hardly come under the description of light motor cars.