1898 Liverpool Trials
The Liverpool Trials were held to find an improved means of transport between the Port of Liverpool and inland towns, also of haulage between the docks and warehouses in the City. By 1898 it was felt that sufficient improvements had been made to the design of motor vehicles and that these would be capable of taking the place of horse haulage and competing with existing railway transport. The trials were arranged to cover a minimum distance of 30 miles on four successive days commencing on Tuesday 24th May 1898.
There were two classes of vehicle eligible for the competition, Class 1 for vehicles carrying a minimum load of 2 tons of goods and Class 2 for a minimum load of 5 tons. There were many other rules and regulations which were very comprehensive and must have influenced the various manufacturers’ designs. Several light carriages were hired “on favourable terms” principally five from the Daimler Motor Co. and four from the Blackpool Motor Car Co., for the convenience of those desiring to follow the runs throughout. There were 10 vehicles entered in total from six firms:
- LIFU (Liquid Fuel Eng. Co. Ltd), London (No. 1)
- The Steam Carriage and Wagon Co., (Thornycroft), Chiswick (Nos. 2, 3 and 4)
- The Lancashire Steam Motor Co. (No. 5)
- The LR Syndicate Ltd (Serpollet System), London, (No. 6)
- T. Coulthard & Co., Preston (Nos. 7 and 8)
- Robert Cooke Sayer, Bristol (Nos. 9 and 10).
Of the ten entrants, only four were presented for trial, No. 1 - the LIFU 2-ton steam wagon; No. 3 - the Thornycroft 5-ton articulated wagon; No. 4 - the Thornycroft 3-ton steam wagon and No. 5 - the “Leyland” 4-ton steam lurry
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