Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/139



Mr. Richard Trevithick. 12 August, 1831. a Steam Carriage?—A chimney is not necessary for the sake of draught if there is a forced draught; the Engine, of which I have produced a drawing, is made for a ship, where we are not bound to height, but five or six feet would be quite sufficient.

Do you apprehend that in your Engine there would be any noise from friction, so as to alarm horses?—No more than in any other Engines; there is no more noise, whether the steam is generated in the same way or how it is conducted, makes no difference.

With what would you work?—With coke; that would be the most convenient.

Do you think the road would suffer less damage from the Carriage itself containing the Engine conveying the passengers, or conducting another Carriage intended to convey passengers?—I think it better to have separate Carriages for the roads, as well because there is less weight upon the wheels; the weight would be more equally divided on the four wheels; but there will be six wheels in a general way I think. The two fore wheels will bear but very little weight.

Might not a single truck wheel do for that?—It would not be steady.