Stanley Steamer Nostalgia.
Beautiful car. Made obsolete by cheaper, more efficient gasoline engines and electric starter motor convenience.
My Connection.
Traction Engines dating back 1850, Steam driven tractors, Mobile power plants using flywheel to drive belts linked to farm machinery road gravel crushers winches dragging plows, Hitched to trailers slowly hauling heavy loads, Didn’t interest little nerd.
One day while long ago browsing magazine, Spotted picture of Stanley Steamer model “how cool is that!”, Must have for model train layout.
Dad professed total ignorance, Told me to find out all about it and convince him, Scoured magazines, Annoyed librarians, Upset book sellers, Not to mention teachers, Eventually gathered information, Dad understood and bought me model Stanley Steamer for birthday treat.
Complications multiplying, Built model station for Stanley Steamer to drop off passengers, Modelled road for Steamer to drive from garage, What garage? What house? What town?
Later found out parental ploy to make me learn, Dad had seen and even ridden in Stanley Steamer, Indeed one of his patients had owned one, Clever dad, Silly me should have known, Used same trick on my children,| Please don’t tell them!
Had thought to build live steam model version of Stanley Steamer, Never mastered silver soldering so necessary for fabricating boiler, Time moved on.
Just other day, writing story on NSWGR 32 class my steamy love, Remembered Stanley Steamer just by chance, Thought to include Stanley in my steam story collection.
Stanley Steamer.
Design
Stanley Steamer, Steam driven car Boiler under hood, two double acting cylinders side by side slide valves typical simple expansion type common on steam locomotives.
Motor powered direct to crankshaft which in turn linked to rear mounted differential via heavy chain.
No transmission no clutch and no driveshaft, Stanley steamer had fully sprung tubular steel frame.
History Outline
Steam-power popular with early buyers, Steam was safe reliable and familiar, People had decades experience with trains and boats.
However steam cars required constant care and attention, Fiddling around 30 minutes to start, Stanley brothers didn’t advertise, Petrol car makers advertised, Steam cars expensive, Petrol engines improved and prices decreased, Finally with electric starter motor steam became obsolete.
Stanley Motor Carriage Company operated from 1902 to 1924, So many “what could have been’s” and “if only’s”.
Blessed be.
