Re: Steam Vehicles

From: Ashley Clarke (ashley_at_a-clarke.demon.co.uk)
Date: 07/18/04 

Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 23:34:39 +0100

"Gulliver" <winnim3@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:357a8890.0407181128.1ca8d3ee@posting.google.com...
> winnim3@yahoo.com (Gulliver) wrote in message
news:<357a8890.0407161539.2aae643e@posting.google.com>...
>
> > http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/thurston/1878/Chapter4.html
> >
> > http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/thurston/1878/
>
> So. Question. In summary, were the early objections against
> over-the-road locomotion versus over-rails locomotion sound?
>
> Could a slight difference in advocasy by both governmental groups,
> industrial groups and theoreticians in England in the early 1800s,
> have made road traffic using smaller steam engines, the primary method
> of transit in the later 1800s instead of rail transit?
>
> Were the early objections against over-the-road versus rails, sound or
> imaginary?
>
> It would seem to me that over-the-road would be less efficient in
> terms of some energy factors, as well as total weights that could be
> hauled with one locomotive, but you might need to build less in terms
> of making transit lines and you might get greater versatility in terms
> of initial and final locations in potential routes as well as
> scheduling.
>
> Were the railroads of the later 1800s all a big mistake?
>
> I think I will crosspost this to a few sci groups.

It seems to me that we all went Steam Mad around that era and not
only used it for transportation but for many stationary power units too.
The main objective, economically, was to sell as much Coal as
possible (although this only my own biased opinion).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

--
Ashley Clarke
-------------------------------------------------------
Email: ashley@a-clarke.demon.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------
Quantcast