Dick Smith "Build Your Own Steam Buggy"

Found this on Facebook about the "Build Your Own Steam Buggy", by Dick Smith.

40 MPH, uses Bicycle tires. 400 pounds weight, Steam is up in a minute from cold. Water tube boiler. etc.

[docs.google.com]

I believe you can find an explanation of the control system in his patent:

Vapor Generator Control

Ken

Hi Ken,
I was comparing Pat's post to yours and specifically the vapor generator control. This begs a question...is this vapor generator control before the Flow Control Valve?

Also, Pat's post shows more detail where the patent is a little shy on content...hum!

Hi Pat,
You know I paid money to get these plans many years ago. I guess things are different today. Interesting that you posted a mono-tube steam generator.

Hope all is well with you,

Very kind regards,
Rick

Rick, The positive claims that the Dick Smith Steam Buggy made were so abundant, that I just had to share the information, mono tube or not... With historical vehicles, I try to keep those vehicles correct to their era. With modern steam,what ever works best is fair game.

Neither Smith nor I ever made claims about the buggy's operation or performance, When something runs well and has been seen and ridden in by hundreds, it is quite unnecessary to bother to "claim" anything, just describe reality.
Only one buggy has been built to the plans, the original, and I put most of the miles on it before it was wrecked in Alabama while being taken to a Greensboro meet in 1968, over 50 years ago.
You made sure the air pressure was up on the gasoline supply, turned on the small propane pilot, turned on the fuel valve and you had to do nothing but drive until you ran out of fuel, water or pilot gas. The control system is just as published in the Steam Calliope.
It was certainly a monotube and only the final straight pass through the fire (used for temperature safety) was steel, the rest copper tubing.
It had three different engines during its short life because in Smith's shop and in my steam work engines were income producers, not collectors items.
The plans have been widely circulated and are still on my firedragon web page. Several builders have started a project but none have completed them. This confuses me. The buggy worked very well and was not technically challenging to build. It is called the Educator and was referred to in the magazines as a Steam Speed Buggy in case you are looking for it on the web.

Karl Petersen

Hi Pat,
I want you to know that I have the upmost respect for you and folks who maintain the period specific vehicles. I'm particularly fond of the brass era and the non-condensing cars. Please, you and others keep up the good work.

I think there is a lot to learn from the classic steam vehicles that can be applied to modern steam. The old folks figured out some pretty good solutions. I feel there is a lot to learn from them.

However, I'm a bit of an inventor. I see some real genius in Dick Smith along with Karl. Their work with mono-tube steam generators is quiet good. There is Jerry Oliver who built a steam bike using the Smith mono-tube generator that performed really nice when we had our last full SACA meet.

Thank you for endorsing modern steam, I guess that's what we're calling it. My intent is to build a more modern steam vehicle that will look like a 1908 non-condensing Stanley...if this is OK. The intent is to learn and have fun with it. Give lots of rides and see how it performs. I perhaps look forward to running it in a tour with your classic vehicles. This is just to share the fun.

I'm currently building my shop and perhaps starting this winter will be getting back into the build of my car. Hope to post my progress in this forum and provide articles in the bulletin.

Thank you for posting the steam buggy.

Very kind regards,
Rick