Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 57.djvu/418

408 machinery was such as would soon give out, even if well designed, on account of its exposed position.

Between 1805 and 1830, quite a number of steam vehicles were invented and put into practical operation. Fig. 4 shows a very elaborate



coach of this period, which was invented by W. H. James, and constructed with the assistance of Sir James Anderson, Bart. The machinery used in this design consisted of two powerful steam engines, one being connected with each one of the hind wheels in a manner similar to that employed in locomotives at the present time. The wheels were not fast upon the axle, hence they could revolve at different velocities in rounding curves. In this respect this invention embodied one of the features commonly used by automobiles of the latest design.



Two boilers were provided, one for each engine, and the record says that with one boiler the speed was six to seven miles per hour.

Fig. 5 shows an omnibus invented by Hancock. This vehicle ran on a regular route, carrying pasengerspassengers [sic] from Pentonville to Finsbury