From:  jbuch <jbuch@CUTHERErevealed.net>
Date:  19 Jul 2004 08:20:57 Hong Kong Time
Newsgroup:  news.alt119.net/sci.energy
Subject:  

Re: Steam Vehicles

NNTP-Posting-Host:  p-978.newsdawg.com

Gulliver wrote:
> winnim3@yahoo.com (Gulliver) wrote in message news:<357a8890.0407161539.2aae643e@posting.google.com>...
> 
> 
>>http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/thurston/1878/Chapter4.html
>>
>>http://www.history.rochester.edu/steam/thurston/1878/
> 
> 
> So.  Question.  In summary, were the early objections against
> over-the-road locomotion versus over-rails locomotion sound?
> 
> Could a slight difference in advocasy by both governmental groups,
> industrial groups and theoreticians in England in the early 1800s,
> have made road traffic using smaller steam engines, the primary method
> of transit in the later 1800s instead of rail transit?
> 
> Were the early objections against over-the-road versus rails, sound or
> imaginary?
> 
> It would seem to me that over-the-road would be less efficient in
> terms of some energy factors, as well as total weights that could be
> hauled with one locomotive, but you might need to build less in terms
> of making transit lines and you might get greater versatility in terms
> of initial and final locations in potential routes as well as
> scheduling.
> 
> Were the railroads of the later 1800s all a big mistake?
> 
> I think I will crosspost this to a few sci groups.

You could consider broadening your historical horizons.

There was water transport, and canals from point to point.

The canals from point to point permitted low energy transportation for 
the invonvenience of having to make a special connection - the canal.

The rails from point to point permitted low energy transportation for 
the inconveninence of having to make a special connection - the railroad.

So, there was a lot of similarity between the two - canals and railroads.

Without a specially prepared connection between two points, the energy 
required to transport goods was high and the transportation was slow. 
Especially in prolonged wet muddy conditions. And snow.

Without highways, there was less benefit of a "POwered Buggy" wehther 
the buggy is powered by gasoline or steam.

Frankly, you likely need to study the relationship between the road and 
the gasoline powered vehicle.  To understand the whole mess of point to 
point transportation from a real example. Not some assumed history 
reinvention.

If you haven't got that subject down well, you are trying to reinvent 
history that you don't understand.

Trade routes and transportation means form a very important part of the 
history of Europe.

JIm