Steam Car Blog

Locomobile engine wanted for car for London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on 5th November.
If you can help please ring Rory Holbrook on 07747 778093. 

The proprietor of one of the first four Locomobile service stations in the United States is still in the Automobile business. His comparison of service as it was known 25 years ago with that of today will only bring a smile to the face of the newcomer in the industry, but the old-timers to whom a 30-mile trip without a stop was an adventure, will remember and understand.

When the first automobiles used in Philadelphia were run down the gravel surfaced road to Atlantic city, known then and now as the White Horse Pike, the owners always stopped halfway on their journey at Hammonton, N.J. There they found service, a man with tools and equipment and knowledge to restore the cars to running condition again.

Al Patten, proprietor of a bicycle store in Hammonton on Bellevue Avenue, then a part of the White Horse Pike, started repairing automobiles before there was a single sales agency in Philadelphia.

The early cars coming to him were Locomobile and other steamers and he designed and used a plan of standing the car on end while working on the boiler that was a forerunner of later service station equipment.

Burned out boilers, due to low water, were common repair jobs in those days. The boilers wee made with steel shells and copper tubes. When the water ran low the copper tubes shrank at the bottom and allowed water and steam to leak out. Sometimes the tubes could be re-caulked, but often new tubes were required. To get at the tubes from underneath the car was a hard job, so Mr Patten rigged up a heavy block and tackle from a second story window of his store. When a boiler was to be repaired the car was backed on the sidewalk near the front of the store, the tackle fastened to the front axle and the front of the car bodily hoisted leaving the rear wheels on the ground.

Jordan Levy writes:
"Here are some pics of my R project that I wanted to share - John/ Justin/Grant Goold and Don Bourdon, assembling it at Don's shop. The body was the first R Mark Johnston had made (wish he was here to see it)."

Coming up for sale at Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Auction on 3rd November 2017, is the 1902 Toledo Junior, who's whereabouts has been unknown for some time. It turns out that it had been in a European collection for this time. 

The Toledo Junior was a smaller version of the Model A Toledo, but had a smaller, open engine rather than the larger, enclosed engine used on other Toledo models. It also had a smaller water tank; a smaller, open (rather than enclosed) differential; and side tiller rather than centre tiller steering.

Unused for a number years, the car will more than likely need some work, but we hope to see it returning to the road one day in the future.

Also for sale at the same auction is the unique 1896 Salvesen Steam Cart.

                      "Steam" Stewart Biography For Sale!                          

The biography of Hector Halhead "Steam" Stewart is now in print. Its 638 pages and 500+ illustrations document the career of Stewart from his birth in the bush to his death in Auckland in 1950.

Stewart built his first steam car from a burned up Locomobile, imported Stanley Steam Car to New Zealand, spent three months in Newton helping to design the 1925 SV Stanley, worked with Doble in Detroit on motor busses, and brought Doble to New Zealand to build steam busses in Auckland.

The book is based on an extensive archive of Stewart's papers, most of which are published.

The book is available at the Vintage Steam Products web site. www.vintagesteamproducts/t/books.

Don Hoke
The Virtual Steam Car Museum, Inc.

​http://www.vintagesteamproducts.com/t/books


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Check out this, recently found in a photocopy from Horseless age from our archives, dated September the 18th 1901. Electric Water Gauge lights appear to be nothing new!:

" A new appliance for steam carriages has lately been placed upon the market by A.L Dyke, of St. Louis. It consists of an electric miniature lamp and the accompanying battery and push button for lighting up the water gauge at night. The water gauge on a steam carriage always needs close attention, and after dark a good light for lighting it up so as to reflect the water level from the mirror on the dash is absolutely necessary. The incandescent lamp of this outfit is provided with a socket ready for screwing onto the side of the carriage back of the lamp; the push button, which is a small "midget" push with pearl button, is placed in the arm of the seat directly in front of the throttle lever. The batteries, which are very small, are screwed under the seat. The battery, lamp, and push button are connected by a small wire. By pushing the button a full glare is thrown on the water gauge and reflected from the mirror. The light is not intended to remain lighted at all times, but merely as a flash light. The battery is said to last several months without any attention, and is quite inexpensive."

                                       Spring City Steam Works's 

Yep, home in the garage. Looking good forward to working on this car!
​Stanley model DX home in the SCSW Garage.
Click on Spring City Steam Works's ​

Peter Turvey  attended the Prescott hill climb event with his Stanley.

The Stanley was joined by two Tesla electric cars today at Prescott, and we had a bit of a problem getting off the wet grass. There was also a nice 1918 Stutz today.