Long steam tricycle
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| Manufacturer | George A. Long |
|---|---|
| Production | c. 1880 |
| Class | Steam tricycle |
| Engine | Gasoline-fired steam, 2-cylinder, 90-degree, V-twin engine |
| Bore / stroke | Unk.×1 5/8" |
| Transmission | Two speed, rear-wheel drive via quasi friction drive |
| Frame type | Steel tubular |
| Suspension | Solid; full-elliptic springs suspending independent, height adjustable seats |
| Brakes | 2×Spoon brake (front) |
| Tires | Front: 2×36 in (910 mm) Rear: 60 in (1,500 mm) Solid tires on spoked wheels |
| Weight | 350 lb (160 kg) (wet) |
The Long steam tricycle appears to be one of the earliest preserved examples of a steam tricycle, built by George A. Long around 1880 and patented in 1883.[1][2][3] One example was built, which after some years of use was dismantled and the parts dispersed. In 1946, one John H. Bateman, with assistance from the 96-year-old Long, reassembled the machine, which is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.[3] The example at the Smithsonian has been noted as the "oldest completely operable self-propelled road vehicle in the museum".[4]
In 2004–2010, the item was displayed at Blackhawk Museum in northern California.[5][6]
Specifications[edit]
Specifications in the infobox to the right are from the Smithsonian Institution America on the Move collection.[3][7]
Steering the two front wheels was accomplished via two independent tillers which would have made simultaneous steering and control of the brake levers difficult for a single individual.[3]
See also[edit]
- List of motorized trikes
- List of motorcycles of the 1890s
- History of steam road vehicles
- Steam engine
References[edit]
- ^ "1880 Long Steam Tricycle - Pictures". Remarkablecars.com. 2009-06-17. Retrieved 2010-07-29.[dead link]
- ^ "Long Steam Tricycle - Pictures". Remarkablecars.com. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
- ^ a b c d "America on the Move | Long steam tricycle". Americanhistory.si.edu. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
- ^ Oliver, Smith Hempstone; Berkebile, Donald H. (1953), Wheels and Wheeling: The Smithsonian Cycle Collection, Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 49
- ^ "Arts Listings: Museums-East Bay Through May 30", The Berkeley Daily Planet, May 18, 2010, retrieved 22 September 2019
- ^ "Automobiles de collection: Long steam tricycle", Les voitures anciennes et histoire des marques des véhicules (in French), archived from the original on 2014-11-13, retrieved 2014-06-18
- ^ Roger White, Nicholas Jackson (ed.), "Race to the Museum: Long Steam Tricycle, About 1880", The Atlantic blog, The Atlantic, retrieved 22 September 2019
Further reading[edit]
- Lewis, Albert L.; Musciano, Walter A. (1977). "Long steam tricycle". Automobiles of the World. Simon & Schuster. p. 43. ISBN 9780671224851.
- "A novel steam road vehicle...", Scientific American: 74, August 4, 1893
- Strohl, Daniel (May 2, 2011), "Hemmings find of the day: birthplace of the American automobile", Hemmings blog, Hemmings
External links[edit]
- Stamp bearing an image of the Long steam tricycle from Burkina Faso post, c. 1985
- Smithsonian - Race to the Museum: Long steam tricycle, about 1880
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