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<b>1906 Stanley Racer</b>
Posted by: JW (IP Logged)
Date: December 10, 2001 11:37PM
<HTML>I received an interesting inquiry from the Editor of "Wooden Canoe", Journal of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association. A Stanley related story is being researched for publication possibly in their next issue. The story is about the Robertson Canoe Company and their canoe body used on the Stanley Land Speed Record car in 1906.
I have heard some interesting tidbits about the high speed towing of a canoe body behind a fast Stanley to test the drag, possibly with a spring scale. It sounds fascinating, and really adds color to the struggle for such a landmark achievement.
Does anyone know any more of this association of the Stanleys with the Robertson Canoe Company?
JW</HTML>
I have heard some interesting tidbits about the high speed towing of a canoe body behind a fast Stanley to test the drag, possibly with a spring scale. It sounds fascinating, and really adds color to the struggle for such a landmark achievement.
Does anyone know any more of this association of the Stanleys with the Robertson Canoe Company?
JW</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: George Nutz (IP Logged)
Date: December 11, 2001 03:22PM
<HTML>JW,
I know nothing about the Robertson Canoe Company but recently read an article over in Coburn Benson's vast library of them towing different models at speed to find the one with the least wind resistance. It appears(from years of calculations and cross referencing) that this car took 10-11 horsepower to maintain 60 mph(My '84 Dodge Caravan was advertised to take 22HP) and with pumps off and all the burner energy going ito evaporating this huge pot of water could maintain about 77HP, enough to achieve 107MPH without boiler drawdown. It was advertised as a 50 horsepower car(with pumps on). According to my recollections of Marriots comments way-back-then, he said all runs up to and including the five mile run was done with pumps off. It was really pushing the limit to run 800psi on this copper tube boiler but it paid off in 1906. I believe Marriot reflected that at 800psi the pumps "would have been torn right outa thar". The boiler held almost two gallons per inch of water level height so it appears all possible. One can only reflect on the shock and disbelief of the drivers of the huge European cars to have been whipped so soundly!! Great stuff of history.
Regards, George</HTML>
I know nothing about the Robertson Canoe Company but recently read an article over in Coburn Benson's vast library of them towing different models at speed to find the one with the least wind resistance. It appears(from years of calculations and cross referencing) that this car took 10-11 horsepower to maintain 60 mph(My '84 Dodge Caravan was advertised to take 22HP) and with pumps off and all the burner energy going ito evaporating this huge pot of water could maintain about 77HP, enough to achieve 107MPH without boiler drawdown. It was advertised as a 50 horsepower car(with pumps on). According to my recollections of Marriots comments way-back-then, he said all runs up to and including the five mile run was done with pumps off. It was really pushing the limit to run 800psi on this copper tube boiler but it paid off in 1906. I believe Marriot reflected that at 800psi the pumps "would have been torn right outa thar". The boiler held almost two gallons per inch of water level height so it appears all possible. One can only reflect on the shock and disbelief of the drivers of the huge European cars to have been whipped so soundly!! Great stuff of history.
Regards, George</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: Graham Howard (IP Logged)
Date: February 11, 2002 05:31AM
<HTML>
Greetings from Sydney, Australia. I write not as a steam enthusiast but as a researcher of Australian motorsport history. I am trying to find information about an expatriate Australian called Rupert Jeffkins, who claimed to have been involved with Serpollet racing in Europe in the very early years of the last century, and then with racing - not necessarily steam - in the US, including some competition at Ormond/Daytona. Through some very helpful US historians I have found some detail of Jeffkins' petrol-powered US racing, but nothing about Ormond Beach, or about exactly what he might have done with Serpollet. Has anyone in your circle heard of Jeffkins? Can anyone suggest where I could look to find out details of Serpollet's racing?
I have started this project about 100 years too late, I recognise that!
regards, Graham Howard</HTML>
Greetings from Sydney, Australia. I write not as a steam enthusiast but as a researcher of Australian motorsport history. I am trying to find information about an expatriate Australian called Rupert Jeffkins, who claimed to have been involved with Serpollet racing in Europe in the very early years of the last century, and then with racing - not necessarily steam - in the US, including some competition at Ormond/Daytona. Through some very helpful US historians I have found some detail of Jeffkins' petrol-powered US racing, but nothing about Ormond Beach, or about exactly what he might have done with Serpollet. Has anyone in your circle heard of Jeffkins? Can anyone suggest where I could look to find out details of Serpollet's racing?
I have started this project about 100 years too late, I recognise that!
regards, Graham Howard</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: Graham Howard (IP Logged)
Date: February 11, 2002 05:32AM
<HTML>
Greetings from Sydney, Australia. I write not as a steam enthusiast but as a researcher of Australian motorsport history. I am trying to find information about an expatriate Australian called Rupert Jeffkins, who claimed to have been involved with Serpollet racing in Europe in the very early years of the last century, and then with racing - not necessarily steam - in the US, including some competition at Ormond/Daytona. Through some very helpful US historians I have found some detail of Jeffkins' petrol-powered US racing, but nothing about Ormond Beach, or about exactly what he might have done with Serpollet. Has anyone in your circle heard of Jeffkins? Can anyone suggest where I could look to find out details of Serpollet's racing?
I have started this project about 100 years too late, I recognise that!
regards, Graham Howard</HTML>
Greetings from Sydney, Australia. I write not as a steam enthusiast but as a researcher of Australian motorsport history. I am trying to find information about an expatriate Australian called Rupert Jeffkins, who claimed to have been involved with Serpollet racing in Europe in the very early years of the last century, and then with racing - not necessarily steam - in the US, including some competition at Ormond/Daytona. Through some very helpful US historians I have found some detail of Jeffkins' petrol-powered US racing, but nothing about Ormond Beach, or about exactly what he might have done with Serpollet. Has anyone in your circle heard of Jeffkins? Can anyone suggest where I could look to find out details of Serpollet's racing?
I have started this project about 100 years too late, I recognise that!
regards, Graham Howard</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: Jeff Theobald (IP Logged)
Date: February 11, 2002 07:51PM
<HTML>Hi Graham,
I am just finishing a replica of the Serpollet racer which held the Land Speed record in 1902, I think this is the car you are talking about, we know the original car was sold to a Mr Grieg from Oxford U.K. for the sum of £2,000, and some where I have reference to the same car being sold to someone in Austrailia, but after that I have no further information, if you have a look at the Sepollet link on the front page of this site you will find a link through to Bexhill-on-Sea U.K. which is where Serpollet raced his car in 1902 here in England, I have a lot of info on the car itself, but not much on it's owners or what happened to it, hope this helps, Jeff.</HTML>
I am just finishing a replica of the Serpollet racer which held the Land Speed record in 1902, I think this is the car you are talking about, we know the original car was sold to a Mr Grieg from Oxford U.K. for the sum of £2,000, and some where I have reference to the same car being sold to someone in Austrailia, but after that I have no further information, if you have a look at the Sepollet link on the front page of this site you will find a link through to Bexhill-on-Sea U.K. which is where Serpollet raced his car in 1902 here in England, I have a lot of info on the car itself, but not much on it's owners or what happened to it, hope this helps, Jeff.</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: Jim Crank (IP Logged)
Date: February 12, 2002 12:55PM
<HTML>Jeff,
Perhaps did you make a trip to France and examine that 1903 Serpollet race car in the ex Schlumph Collection? Supposedly Le Blon's actual Paris to Madrid car.
Outside of a huge steam generator, I am curious what else Serpollet put into that car.
Jim</HTML>
Perhaps did you make a trip to France and examine that 1903 Serpollet race car in the ex Schlumph Collection? Supposedly Le Blon's actual Paris to Madrid car.
Outside of a huge steam generator, I am curious what else Serpollet put into that car.
Jim</HTML>
Re: 1906 Stanley Racer
Posted by: Jeff Theobald (IP Logged)
Date: February 12, 2002 09:04PM
<HTML>Hi Jim,
No I have not seen the car in France, but did have a good look at the car here in U.K. at the Science Museum store, same chassis and engine as the racer, not sure about the boiler, and a much heavier body, they say the original Serpollet racer had a smaller boiler fitted a few years after it's record run, and did not go so well, I not sure how the boiler in the original racer compares with the standard car, this year is the hundredth anniversary of the first racing on Bexhill-on-Sea sea front, and at least one of the original I.C. cars that raced in 1902 will be there, a lot of steamers are coming including the replica of Hancock's 1835 Enterprice, and Treithick's steam carriage, also a 1900 Serpollet, and many others.
Jeff</HTML>
No I have not seen the car in France, but did have a good look at the car here in U.K. at the Science Museum store, same chassis and engine as the racer, not sure about the boiler, and a much heavier body, they say the original Serpollet racer had a smaller boiler fitted a few years after it's record run, and did not go so well, I not sure how the boiler in the original racer compares with the standard car, this year is the hundredth anniversary of the first racing on Bexhill-on-Sea sea front, and at least one of the original I.C. cars that raced in 1902 will be there, a lot of steamers are coming including the replica of Hancock's 1835 Enterprice, and Treithick's steam carriage, also a 1900 Serpollet, and many others.
Jeff</HTML>
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