Home Made Steam Cars

For All of you guys that are:
making your own STEAM powered
cars, carts, motor cycles, whatsits
OR
converting some type of vehicle to Steam Power

Would you please post details of your project on this Thread:
descriptions, photos, youtube links, etc.

please talk about successes, lessons learned, ways to and not to do things, etc.



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Guess I'll post an image of my successful project from the mid '70's (again).

It used a chassis and front-end from a VW bug, a Ford Mustang rear axle--and RJ Smith steam components including a 6-cylinder Mercury outboard engine converted to a bash-valve uniflow, and a "Maxi-SASS" steam generator. Fully condensing, this car was demonstrated extensively for a period of several years.

A person could do worse than to duplicate this project IMO.

Bill

Here is the start of a 1901 Locomobile. Long way to go. I've learned there is not much information readily available on the Stanhope's beyond 1900 and through 1903.

The chassis will be brazed together like the original. Tyring to keep it as accurate as possible, although it will have a 25 sq/ft Ofeldt boiler and vaporizing burner instead of the Stanley-type VFT. Have an original engine that is ready go in. The engine, I made a new crankshaft and replaced all the crank bearings and connecting rod bearings with sealed ball bearings. The eccentrics are made from 330 bronze.

Still looking for several parts, such as close to the orginal springs or someone who makes them, also need a Locomobile boiler pressure gauge in the 400# range. Have a 40# Loco air gauge, but I don't think that is quite high enough.

Any drawings or info that someone may have, I would be greatly appreciative to recieve it at wagonwheel@usa.com

-Ron

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I have some items that you may be interested in. I have a 1901 loco/likamobile that was in an accident. I was coming back from a car show it was in my enclosed trailer and two young girls that were texting hit me when I was stopped to make a left turn. The insurance company totaled the car and I will keep it. I'm selling some parts. Ex: boiler, side panels, saddle water tanks, front water tank, convertible top, seat and a few other items. Here is a photo before the accident. The car had 17 miles on it before it was totaled, it took four years to build it.
E-mail me for photos jjtjr@yahoo.com

jake



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2013 06:33AM by jjtjr.

This seems to be about as good a topic as any to post Roger Ulsky's latest video of his new machine.

[youtu.be]

Ken

Hey-

Roger Steamboy obviously missed his calling-he should have been a cinematographer instead of a EE!


Cheers--Chuk

I would like to congratulate Roger on a fine-running steam project.

His experiences in building steam vehicles shows here, a very clean installation. I can only hope to do as well with my effort!

Bill H.

Some of you have probably seen the Kristie's Flyer ,a steam car some friends and I built [www.youtube.com]

Boy, am I disappointed! And here I thought the video was all about me getting a ride in the cart! :-D Seriously, it was a fun ride.

the Kristie's Flyer looks awesome.

Update on the 1901 Locomobile replica project. The project has advanced to the point where we were able to drive it over the weekend for about 5 hours. Mechanically, everything went well, had a feedpump issue at first which was expected and corrected. This runs entirely on straight kerosene, pilot, main burner etc. As one can see in the video, the main burner is not behaving. Some speculations as to why, mixing tube too small, too much restriction internally in the burner, Vaporizer too small, it's one, two or all of three. After 5 hours burning there was so much soot, it started burning back in the mixing tube. The fuel pressure was 50 psi, the 40 pound Loco air gauge has a regulator going to it, so it can be used and it's really just a pressure indicator, the real fuel pressure level indicator gauge is at the regulator coming off of the air tank. The car drove great and it seems pretty fast with the superheater. Single band brake worked very well. Builds steam fast when the burner would straighten up momentarily. Really happy with it.

Jim Crank, Thank you for the suggestion of the Nova Optimus stove for a pilot, it works great and really like the cleaning method; simply wave a magnet underneath.

Here is a video: (There is no sound as Windows MovieMaker decided not to include it for some reason?

[youtu.be]

I like the looks of the Ofeldt Blue flame kerosene burner, but as it is with these cars, not much available information. Can only find a grainy illustration from trade publications of the day. All from the same angle. Does anyone have any info on this burner? It's a conical center drum with branches and the vaporizer oddly wraps around the mixing tube with the pilot directly underneath. They claimed (1904 publication) this was not a problem.

-Ron

Nice looking work. Great fun.
Looks like Tony is having all the fun. Superheat is one thing the original car did not have.
Really needs it. Keep the engine oiled.
Rolly

Ron.
Your welcome about the Optimus stove burner. Post mix vaporizing is a nice way to go for both a pilot light and the same principal for main burners, there are a lot of advantages. Something we should write up for the Bulletin.
Serpollet did it first with a battery of them. Lear also tried it. One really good use were the J tube vaporizers in early jet engine burners. Another old but not forgotten technology.
Jim

Doug I can't see any of the home made cars you posted, any suggestions? I'm running Firefox as a browser.
Cheers
Mark

Hi Mark

There was a little "technical" issue back in November. So I could start reposting them.

Doug

Dick Vennerbeck

Steam Powered Curved Dash Olds


https://www.flickr.com/people/8517286@N02/

Ever wonder what ever happened to Richard Smith's Steam powered Bicycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o58RQysIK4

Thanks Doug I'd appreciate it.
Cheers
Mark

Doug-Ji Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Mark
>
> There was a little "technical" issue back in
> November. So I could start reposting them.
>
> Doug

I 'm in the process of rebuilding my likamobile, its a copy of the locomobile. My car was in an accident last year and was hit from behind by two girls texting at high speed everything was bent.even the springs. I just purchased 3 springs from an Amish buggy shop in New Holland, Pa. I had the old ones with me, and the match is good. Had to made new reach rods the old ones had S bends. The car will be finished this fall.

All files from this thread

File Name	File Size		Posted by	Date
Hinote Steamer 2.JPG	79.1 KB	open | download	Bill Hinote	11/11/2013	Read message
IMG_3408 (Medium).JPG	97 KB	open | download	IronChief	11/11/2013	Read message
axlewide1 (Medium).jpg	115.7 KB	open | download	IronChief	11/11/2013	Read message
IMG_130.jpg	303.9 KB	open | download	jjtjr	11/14/2013	Read message