Steam Carriage and Wagon Co
of Homefield, Chiswick (1897)
of Basingstoke and Chiswick (1899)
1896 John Isaac Thornycroft fitted a vertical steam engine to a van at Chiswick. After this happened he started building vehicles.
1896 Company registered
1896 November. 'MR. THORNYCROFT, whose name is identified throughout the world with high class torpedo-boat machinery, has identified himself with the new self-propelled traffic, and designed a steam-carriage which will carry a load of one ton, and weighs about 35 cwt. when in full working order—including the weight of the coke used as fuel, the driver, and water necessary for a run of 20 miles.
The boiler is of the Thornycroft water-tube launch type with water fire-bars, steam being raised in about 15 minutes. The engine is double compound, the cylinders being respectively of 2 and 4 inches diameter, with a stroke of 3 inches. The engine speed is geared in the ratio of 9 to 1 to the road driving wheels. The condenser is placed on the roof, and is of sufficient cooling surface to condense all the steam at ordinary rates of working. The van can climb an incline of 1 in 10 When fully loaded. The ordinary speed of working is about six or seven miles per hour, but a speed of nine miles per hour can easily be sustained on level roads. The floor space available for carrying goods is about 25 square feet. Several trials have been made of this carriage with excellent results, while the name of Thornycroft is sufficient guarantee of the admirable quality of the workmanship and material which k used throughout. For developing this new branch of work au establishment has been founded under the title of the Steam Carriage and Wagon Company, Homefield, Chiswick Mall.[1]
1896 The company was already known as Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Wagon Company, of Chiswick
1897 The Steam Carriage and Wagon Co of Chiswick started building the steam vehicles
1898 The Steam Carriage and Wagon Co was "better known" as Thornycroft's[2]
1899. Maker of steam road wagons. Designed by John Isaac Thornycroft. A vehicle was made for Fuller and Co.[3]. Steam Carriage and Wagon Co (Messrs Thornycroft) exhibited 2 vehicles at Liverpool[4]
Later known as the Thornycroft Steam Wagon Co
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Automotor Journal 1896/11
- ↑ The Times, May 31, 1898
- ↑ The Autocar 1899/03/18
- ↑ The Times, Aug 05, 1899