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Circa 1909 Ross Steam Touring Car
Posted by: George Nutz (IP Logged)
Date: March 14, 2004 12:20PM
<HTML> Many of you are familiar with Louis Ross setting records in 1905 at Ormond Beach in the "Wogglebug" that had two tenHP Stanley engines and boilers. It was a very streamlined racer and won the Dewars Cup competition that year.
In one of Clymers books there is a description and picture of a 1909 car made by Louis S. Ross of Newtonville, Massachusetts. It had a big condensor, engine up front next to the boiler and used a driveshaft. Advertised as a 25HP car with a 2 cylinder 4" X5" engine up front it would appear advanced over the Stanleys of that year. Does anyone have any information on the Ross cars, how many manufactured or if any such car exists at present?
Thanks, George</HTML>
In one of Clymers books there is a description and picture of a 1909 car made by Louis S. Ross of Newtonville, Massachusetts. It had a big condensor, engine up front next to the boiler and used a driveshaft. Advertised as a 25HP car with a 2 cylinder 4" X5" engine up front it would appear advanced over the Stanleys of that year. Does anyone have any information on the Ross cars, how many manufactured or if any such car exists at present?
Thanks, George</HTML>
Re: Circa 1909 Ross Steam Touring Car
Posted by: EARL C. LEAVEY, JR. (IP Logged)
Date: March 14, 2004 03:58PM
<HTML>GEORGE, THIS AD WAS IN THE OCT./NOV./DEC. 2002 THE STEAM AUTOMOBILE. FOR SALE- 190? ROSS STEAM CAR ENGINE. IT IS A 3X5 DOUBLE SIMPLE ENGINE WITH BUILT IN FEEDWATER AND LUBRICATOR PUMPS. IT IS VERTICALLY MOUNTED, ALL BALL-BEARING, ENGINE WITH A FLANGE ON THE CRANKSHAFT FOR A DRIVESHAFT. VERY GOOD CONDITION. JIM SHOWERS, HC 78, BOX 37, SHANKS, WV 26761. TEL. 304/866-5738 E-MAIL steamcar@hereintown.com MAYBE THIS COULD BE HELPFUL INFO. EARL</HTML>
Re: Circa 1909 Ross Steam Touring Car
Posted by: George Nutz (IP Logged)
Date: March 15, 2004 06:35PM
<HTML>Earl,
Thanks for the information. Didn't know anything about this 3" X5" that you mentioned, maybe it was a precurser to the 4" X 5" that is mentioned in the add. Interesting that it had built in feedwater and lubricator pumps.
Thanks, George</HTML>
Thanks for the information. Didn't know anything about this 3" X5" that you mentioned, maybe it was a precurser to the 4" X 5" that is mentioned in the add. Interesting that it had built in feedwater and lubricator pumps.
Thanks, George</HTML>
Re: Circa 1909 Ross Steam Touring Car
Posted by: Jim Merrick (IP Logged)
Date: March 17, 2004 06:58PM
<HTML>George,
According to B.C. Edmands' article "The Ross Steamer" published in _The Bulb Horn_ (April 1952), Ross had a total production of 34 cars from 1905 to 1910 (when production ceased). Only one car was built with a condenser (it was shipped to Britain) - all the others had "a large false radiator front" for style appearances only. Ross published a catalog in 1906 which was reprinted by SACA in 1963, and may still be available. Ross sold three of his cars to officials at the Boston Fire Dept., and another four to the Boston Police Dept. Ross had close relationships with local fire & police officials - he was said to be the foremost "spark" in the area. He always kept a steamer ready in his basement garage, which was accessed by a fireman's pole, and he had a connection to city-wide fire alarm call box to keep track of all fires. It is said that he even kept a parrot that would shout "Fire, Fire!" whenever the alarm sounded, and then count off the number of the alarms.
As for Ross' "Wogglebug" - when it was built in the spring of 1904 (it made its debut at the Readville, Mass., track on Memorial Day) it was apparently equipped with two stock Stanley 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 engines, and two Stanley 16" boilers. When it won the Dewar Trophy at Ormond Beach, Fla., in Jan. 1905, it had been upgraded to two 3 x 4 Stanley engines, and one special 24" diameter 18" high Stanley boiler. It was sold at the end of the races and apparently wrecked in a crash soon after.
Jim Merrick</HTML>
According to B.C. Edmands' article "The Ross Steamer" published in _The Bulb Horn_ (April 1952), Ross had a total production of 34 cars from 1905 to 1910 (when production ceased). Only one car was built with a condenser (it was shipped to Britain) - all the others had "a large false radiator front" for style appearances only. Ross published a catalog in 1906 which was reprinted by SACA in 1963, and may still be available. Ross sold three of his cars to officials at the Boston Fire Dept., and another four to the Boston Police Dept. Ross had close relationships with local fire & police officials - he was said to be the foremost "spark" in the area. He always kept a steamer ready in his basement garage, which was accessed by a fireman's pole, and he had a connection to city-wide fire alarm call box to keep track of all fires. It is said that he even kept a parrot that would shout "Fire, Fire!" whenever the alarm sounded, and then count off the number of the alarms.
As for Ross' "Wogglebug" - when it was built in the spring of 1904 (it made its debut at the Readville, Mass., track on Memorial Day) it was apparently equipped with two stock Stanley 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 engines, and two Stanley 16" boilers. When it won the Dewar Trophy at Ormond Beach, Fla., in Jan. 1905, it had been upgraded to two 3 x 4 Stanley engines, and one special 24" diameter 18" high Stanley boiler. It was sold at the end of the races and apparently wrecked in a crash soon after.
Jim Merrick</HTML>
1909 Ross Steam Car
Posted by: Ben in Maine (IP Logged)
Date: March 17, 2004 08:23PM
<HTML>Hi All,,,,Where and when did that machine come to grief,,,,Brad Edmons was a tall man,,perhaps 6' 3 or more and had a nice T Ford w/a ''California top,,,,His nephew came to the meets w Brad,,,,that was Ted Pratt,,,Ted is one of the founders of New England Speedway in Epping NH,,, Brad was a frequent visitor at Knowles house in Lincoln MA ,,,Perhaps this is where Joe Knowles story of Ross mistake comes from,,,,Seems he insisted that a bullet fired into dynamite would not set it off,,,,to prove the point he did a demonstration,,,TWICE,,,,he was a good marksman,,,,er,,,,The second shot struck the previous bullet IN the stick,,,,,This provided the impact to detonate the dynamite,,,Many of the car meets started at Joe an Wilma's house in Lincoln MA,,,I was the kid on the bicycle,,lookin for a ride,,,I was VMCCA youngest member back then,,,While this is a ramble,,it could help to tie some detail eventually,,The 500# Ross guage I have has a rear fitting,,and does not at all look like a Stanley guage,,,Cheers Ben</HTML>
Re: 1909 Ross Steam Car
Posted by: Jim Merrick (IP Logged)
Date: March 17, 2004 08:42PM
<HTML>Ben,
According to the Bulb Horn article, the "Wogglebug" was sold to "two wealthy New York sportsmen who were staying at the Hotel Ormond" and was shipped by rail to New York. It was then crashed through a fence on a trial run when it was driven by Johnnie Nelson, a "famous bicycle racer of the day." Edmands says no one knows what happened to it after that.
Jim</HTML>
According to the Bulb Horn article, the "Wogglebug" was sold to "two wealthy New York sportsmen who were staying at the Hotel Ormond" and was shipped by rail to New York. It was then crashed through a fence on a trial run when it was driven by Johnnie Nelson, a "famous bicycle racer of the day." Edmands says no one knows what happened to it after that.
Jim</HTML>
Re: 1909 Ross Steam Car
Posted by: George Nutz (IP Logged)
Date: March 18, 2004 10:07AM
<HTML>Jim And Coburn,
Thanks so much for the information, to think Ross went to the trouble of putting on "a false front" to make it look like it had a condensor!!
George</HTML>
Thanks so much for the information, to think Ross went to the trouble of putting on "a false front" to make it look like it had a condensor!!
George</HTML>
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