Oldest design here ?

[Trevithick]

My little bundle of pain, someone has finally put it on youtube.
We spent all Thursday driving up and down for the beeb so it should be famous again soon (last time was Fred Dibner).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzIUeq4u1J8


Cheers
T

[DickyC]

Where and when will it be on't telly, T?

[Trevithick]

Only the beeb knows at the moment but I'll keep you informed.
Cheers
T

[hidetheelephants]

Round and round went the bloody great wheel! Class. The lentilists will object because there are no guards on the moving parts and no signs warning of hot surfaces...

[skeggysteve]

From the YouTube video it looks to be have a fair turn of speed but also able to stop quite well!

So can we have more details about it, please.

I say we as I suspect I not alone in not only loving cars but also having a love for old steam engines of all sorts.

[Trevithick]

Lethal it is, broken several bones of hands etc, burns, bruises and strains come as standard but we love it.
By the way the maximum speed for wood wheeled vehicles (according to the crats) is 5 mph, watch the video and guess the speed.
Steam anarchists we are!
Cheers
T

[Trevithick]

skeggysteve said:

From the YouTube video it looks to be have a fair turn of speed but also able to stop quite well!

So can we have more details about it, please.

I say we as I suspect I not alone in not only loving cars but also having a love for old steam engines of all sorts.

Designed in 1801 by Mr Richard Trevithick, it was the first self propelled vehicle.
Possibly set up to save towing the steam power pack between mine sites (using horses), he realised that the engine developed 6-8 hp so why not use itself to move.
First run Dec 24th up Camborne hill with 5 people on board (apparently a bet in the local pub)hence the song about Camborne Hill.
The original was destroyed when on a day trip to the local landowner at tehidy, they stopped at a local tavern to have "goose and many good drinks", they strangely forgot the engine (in a wooden barn) and it boiled itself dry and the lead safety plug (a Trevithick invention) blew the fire out of the fire box and burnt the barn down, destroying the engine (wooden chassis etc).
RT moved onto other things (one engine blew up in London killing 3) and the devil was forgotten, until 1999 when it was decided to build an exact replica for the 200th aniversary. It did Camborne hill 24th Dec 2001.
Bless it we still draw a crowd of 3-4000 people every Trevithick day and the video was last years run.
It weighs in at 4 tons with 1/2 ton of water, we filmed with the beeb on thursday (not the first time Fred D featured it in fact they couldn't get him off it) and for 100psi all day it used 1/4 ton of coal, about 20kg per mile.
If you're ever down this way get in contact I'll show you it in all its oily glory.
Cheers
T