CARS AND HOW TO DRIVE THEM-THE WHITE STANHOPE-PART II

Taken from the series Cars and How To Drive Them- No. XVI. The White by Colonel R.E. Crompton, R.E, January 14, 1903.

In learning to drive the car the following are the chief points to be noted. To get up steam it is, of course, first necessary to fill the petrol tank, the usual precautions being taken to prevent the possibility of the petrol being set alight by fire at or near the car. The air pressure above the oil in the oil (petrol) tank must then be pumped up to about 35 lb. on the gauge. The sub-burner is then ready to be lighted. This is done by allowing a little petrol to drop into the drip cup at the bottom of the sub-burner, by opening a valve which is fitted at the back of the sub-burner for a second or two. Care must be taken not to let any petrol drop on the ground, as it may take fire. To light the sub-burner apply a lighted match to the drip cup. One minute later the side cock of the sub-burner can be opened. There is a third cock fitted to the sub-burner which regulates the size of its flame. The best position for it is generally about one-quarter of a turn open, and this position can be judged by the noise made by the flame. The sub-burner flame should make a slight blowing noise, but if this noise is at all loud the sub-burner is wasting petrol, and this can be regulated by closing the regulator cock slowly until the noise nearly ceases. The side or starting cock of the sub-burner may be turned several times so as to be wide open.
In about a minute and a half after starting the sub-burner it will have heated the main vapouriser sufficiently to enable the main  burner to be turned on either from the handle at the driver's seat or by a second handle, which for convenience is fitted low down at the side of the car. This turning on of the main burner can easily be done in a minute and a half after the sub-burner is fairly alight. If it is attempted to turn it on sooner there is a risk of unvapourised petrol dripping at the induction jet, which is to be avoided. A minute after the main burner is turned on, if the boiler is full of water the steam pressure will rise to 150lb., and at this point the water blow-off cock should be opened and water blown off until steam begins to appear at it. If the engine has been previously oiled and greased, the car is now ready to start. 

The New Pattern of White Steam Car (this followed on from the Stanhope which the article describes)

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