Large rare beast spotted on Christchurch roads!
March 4th 2007 04:06
Hello again
I was driving towards the Riccarton rotary market, which has some great bargins, bought a load of plants really cheap as doing an NZ native garden. Anyway as I was driving along, there on the side of the road, I couldn't believe it, so I quickly pulled over and grabbed my camera that I always keep with me.
Now this was something I haven't really seen since I left the UK, a steam traction engine, these are just amazing machines.
The Traction Engine is a mobile steam engine that evolved from the crude stationary steam engines, once used during the late 18th century.
Early developments of the technology can be traced back to Denis Papin's pressure cooker invention of 1679, which was later the inspiration for Thomas Savery's who patented 1698 a crude form of steam engine. Thomas Savery, a military engineer, had for some time been working on the problem of pumping water out of coal mines. The invention he came up with consisted of a closed vessel filled with water into which pressurised steam was introduced. The steam forced water in the mine upwards and out of the shaft. A cold water sprinkler was used to condense the steam, which created a vacuum that sucked more water out of the mine through a bottom valve. Thomas Savery later worked with Thomas Newcomen on the atmospheric steam engine.
Though no one person can be credited with inventing the steam powered road vehicle, possibly the most advanced ideas came from a French military engineer called Nicolas Cugnot (1725–1804) His self propelled three-wheeled vehicle, was developed primarily for towing artillery and was capable of carrying four people. On 23rd October 1769, in the Paris arsenal, Cugnot demonstrated his first steam engine before distinguished government officials. The machine attained an impressive speed of 2mph and ran for 15 minutes. His second engine had its demonstration in the Paris streets before the French public. But there was a ‘minor’ incident involving the engine and an argument with a brick wall, which resulted in an upside down lump of quality scrap iron. Cugnot was discredited and lack of support prevented his further engine developments. A replica engine is now preserved in the Paris Museum of Technology.
Mining engineer Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) of Cornwall built the first self-moving engine in this country. He devoted his life to the improvement of the steam engine from its simple beginning as a beam engine pumping water from mines. Unlike James Watt, Trevithick favoured higher steam pressures that gave greater power from smaller cylinders. From 1800 to 1815 he built several steam road carriages, the first steam railway locomotives and a large number of stationary steam engines. Nothing he did however was commercially successful and he died in debt. Ransomes of Ipswich introduced the traction engine, as we begin to know it in 1840, who were established agricultural implement makers of the time. Other engine builders were not far behind, some of the early ones being Aveling, Burrell, Clayton, Fowler and Garrett.
To begin with, engines were adapted portable engines, with the cylinders over the firebox and chain drive, the steering was at first by horses, later by a steersman on the front of the engine and then to the system we know today. Different makers had different ideas as to which side the steering should be situated, right or left.
Now when I was driving along Blenheim Rd towards the city, I saw all this smoke on the other side and it was the engine coming towards me, pretty awesome and reminded me of the UK as when I was a kid you saw quite a few of these at shows etc. And it must have some pulling power as if you look at the last photo you will see it is towing a truck as well as a caravan!! Nice one.
Hal
I was driving towards the Riccarton rotary market, which has some great bargins, bought a load of plants really cheap as doing an NZ native garden. Anyway as I was driving along, there on the side of the road, I couldn't believe it, so I quickly pulled over and grabbed my camera that I always keep with me.
Now this was something I haven't really seen since I left the UK, a steam traction engine, these are just amazing machines.
The Traction Engine is a mobile steam engine that evolved from the crude stationary steam engines, once used during the late 18th century.
Early developments of the technology can be traced back to Denis Papin's pressure cooker invention of 1679, which was later the inspiration for Thomas Savery's who patented 1698 a crude form of steam engine. Thomas Savery, a military engineer, had for some time been working on the problem of pumping water out of coal mines. The invention he came up with consisted of a closed vessel filled with water into which pressurised steam was introduced. The steam forced water in the mine upwards and out of the shaft. A cold water sprinkler was used to condense the steam, which created a vacuum that sucked more water out of the mine through a bottom valve. Thomas Savery later worked with Thomas Newcomen on the atmospheric steam engine.
Though no one person can be credited with inventing the steam powered road vehicle, possibly the most advanced ideas came from a French military engineer called Nicolas Cugnot (1725–1804) His self propelled three-wheeled vehicle, was developed primarily for towing artillery and was capable of carrying four people. On 23rd October 1769, in the Paris arsenal, Cugnot demonstrated his first steam engine before distinguished government officials. The machine attained an impressive speed of 2mph and ran for 15 minutes. His second engine had its demonstration in the Paris streets before the French public. But there was a ‘minor’ incident involving the engine and an argument with a brick wall, which resulted in an upside down lump of quality scrap iron. Cugnot was discredited and lack of support prevented his further engine developments. A replica engine is now preserved in the Paris Museum of Technology.
Mining engineer Richard Trevithick (1771-1833) of Cornwall built the first self-moving engine in this country. He devoted his life to the improvement of the steam engine from its simple beginning as a beam engine pumping water from mines. Unlike James Watt, Trevithick favoured higher steam pressures that gave greater power from smaller cylinders. From 1800 to 1815 he built several steam road carriages, the first steam railway locomotives and a large number of stationary steam engines. Nothing he did however was commercially successful and he died in debt. Ransomes of Ipswich introduced the traction engine, as we begin to know it in 1840, who were established agricultural implement makers of the time. Other engine builders were not far behind, some of the early ones being Aveling, Burrell, Clayton, Fowler and Garrett.
To begin with, engines were adapted portable engines, with the cylinders over the firebox and chain drive, the steering was at first by horses, later by a steersman on the front of the engine and then to the system we know today. Different makers had different ideas as to which side the steering should be situated, right or left.
Now when I was driving along Blenheim Rd towards the city, I saw all this smoke on the other side and it was the engine coming towards me, pretty awesome and reminded me of the UK as when I was a kid you saw quite a few of these at shows etc. And it must have some pulling power as if you look at the last photo you will see it is towing a truck as well as a caravan!! Nice one.
Hal
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