1 Steam Cars : Phorum
General Steam Car topics
Stanley vs. Doble and others
Posted by: Kathy Cason (IP Logged)
Date: September 27, 2005 10:33PM
<HTML>Greetings Gentlemen (and any other Ladies lurking out there) !!
I'm SO glad that I have stumbled upon your little corner of the Internet! I have learned many things just by reading your forum.
Long before all the recent hoopla about finding alternative methods of powering Personal Transportation Vehicles, I became interested in using alternative methods of powering "private vehicles".
I have investigated several, and am continuing to gather as much "non-technical" information as I have been able to find.
My questions are these-
Where can I locate information comparing the various Steam Engine models (Stanley, Doble, White, Whitney, etc) that are appropriate for Cars/Pickups? Personally, I have become entranced by the larger Doble vehicles and the Mountain "bus" vehicles (I have a large family, and require seating for 10 - 12 when we ALL go somewhere).
Are there statistics located somewhere that compares the Cost Of Operation for the various type of locomotion- gasoline, steam, all-electric, electric-hybrid, etc., that I can possibly access? preferably by the cost per mile or hour of operation?
Is a steam powered vehicle Practicle for long-distance driving as well as the "about town" that I 've read so much about? I regularly make trips over 500 miles each way, and long to find something that is economical to operate as well as less dependent upon the location of the next Gas Station to continue the journey.
Lastly,
Can you recommend reliable sources for powerplants/ engines? or are steam locomotive systems more in the "build it yourself" area? Yes, I realize that anyone who operates such a system MUST have a knowledge of necessary maintainence, and the ability to do such work. I can aquire that knowledge (as I have been repairing and maintaining all my Gasoline cars for three decades ), but I do not have the where-with-all to Build such an engine from schematic drawings to finished powerplant.
Thank you for any information you might be able to provide to me,
Kathy C.
(and don't let the gender throw you off Gentlemen, I started turning wrenches at age 6 with a Grandfather who was a Master Mechanic, and a Father who restored Old Cars for a hobby. Wish I had some of the "Toys" you Gents have, I am SOOOOO very envious!!)</HTML>
Kathy C
Camden, AR
I'm SO glad that I have stumbled upon your little corner of the Internet! I have learned many things just by reading your forum.
Long before all the recent hoopla about finding alternative methods of powering Personal Transportation Vehicles, I became interested in using alternative methods of powering "private vehicles".
I have investigated several, and am continuing to gather as much "non-technical" information as I have been able to find.
My questions are these-
Where can I locate information comparing the various Steam Engine models (Stanley, Doble, White, Whitney, etc) that are appropriate for Cars/Pickups? Personally, I have become entranced by the larger Doble vehicles and the Mountain "bus" vehicles (I have a large family, and require seating for 10 - 12 when we ALL go somewhere).
Are there statistics located somewhere that compares the Cost Of Operation for the various type of locomotion- gasoline, steam, all-electric, electric-hybrid, etc., that I can possibly access? preferably by the cost per mile or hour of operation?
Is a steam powered vehicle Practicle for long-distance driving as well as the "about town" that I 've read so much about? I regularly make trips over 500 miles each way, and long to find something that is economical to operate as well as less dependent upon the location of the next Gas Station to continue the journey.
Lastly,
Can you recommend reliable sources for powerplants/ engines? or are steam locomotive systems more in the "build it yourself" area? Yes, I realize that anyone who operates such a system MUST have a knowledge of necessary maintainence, and the ability to do such work. I can aquire that knowledge (as I have been repairing and maintaining all my Gasoline cars for three decades ), but I do not have the where-with-all to Build such an engine from schematic drawings to finished powerplant.
Thank you for any information you might be able to provide to me,
Kathy C.
(and don't let the gender throw you off Gentlemen, I started turning wrenches at age 6 with a Grandfather who was a Master Mechanic, and a Father who restored Old Cars for a hobby. Wish I had some of the "Toys" you Gents have, I am SOOOOO very envious!!)</HTML>
Kathy C
Camden, AR
Re: Stanley vs. Doble and others
Posted by: ArnoldWalker (IP Logged)
Date: September 28, 2005 05:15AM
<HTML>You got a Suburban or donor vehicle to stick the powerplant in.....
Some of the guys are working on the cyclone (www.cyclonepower.com )and other engines with follks like you in mind.
Sort of a steam answer to hot rodding,so you don't have to build that thing from blueprints.Or spend a fortune on an antique.
Some like modelworks even offer an entire steam kitcar....Simon is down to the last 14 cars on a 100? car production run. It's a two seater and
the H series he was looking at after this run is a two seater.
Might check out Andy Patterson's site over in Missouri.
Hope to in time to have something from Texas,but not that far at this time.</HTML>
Some of the guys are working on the cyclone (www.cyclonepower.com )and other engines with follks like you in mind.
Sort of a steam answer to hot rodding,so you don't have to build that thing from blueprints.Or spend a fortune on an antique.
Some like modelworks even offer an entire steam kitcar....Simon is down to the last 14 cars on a 100? car production run. It's a two seater and
the H series he was looking at after this run is a two seater.
Might check out Andy Patterson's site over in Missouri.
Hope to in time to have something from Texas,but not that far at this time.</HTML>
Re: Stanley vs. Doble and others
Posted by: Graeme Vagg (IP Logged)
Date: September 28, 2005 11:44PM
<HTML>Kathy,
You can get EPA mileage estimates for all production vehicle (all types) sold in the USA by doing a web search under EPA, fuel economy guide, or manufacturers web sites.
Steam cars are not that good on fuel consumption but might be able to travel for a lower cost per mile if you have access to very low cost fuel. If travelling long distances from your base, you may not be able to get the cheap fuel all the way.
If you could afford a Doble or a White, or even an antique Stanley, you would not be worried about fuel costs - or probably need to be working either. Getting a modern steamer is still a DIY affair but some of us are trying to reverse this situation.
As far as options go for long trips on a highway and needing to keep to a schedule I would not rely on a steamer just yet. Electric cars have short range - 40 to 100 miles is typical before needing a recharge - so not suitable. The remaining options are petrol, diesel or hybrid. A compact petrol engined car getting around 40mpg is probably the cheapest form of transport when all costs are considered - namely depreciation, insurances, road taxes, fuel and maintenance. Fuel cost is only about 10 to 15% of running costs.
For fuel economy alone the choice is between a good hybrid and a TDI diesel. Some steam buffs are driving the Toyota Prius - so that should tell you something. VW have about 4 diesels in the top 10 Most Ecomonical Cars list. A Hybrid is very economical in the city and is the cleanest technology - with an extended range battery they are getting very high mpgs by topping up on mains power. Batteries currently last about 7 or 8 years or so, so replacement cost is a factor with a hybrid. A TDI diesel using biodiesel (B5 or more) would be a very safe bet.
Regards,
Graeme</HTML>
You can get EPA mileage estimates for all production vehicle (all types) sold in the USA by doing a web search under EPA, fuel economy guide, or manufacturers web sites.
Steam cars are not that good on fuel consumption but might be able to travel for a lower cost per mile if you have access to very low cost fuel. If travelling long distances from your base, you may not be able to get the cheap fuel all the way.
If you could afford a Doble or a White, or even an antique Stanley, you would not be worried about fuel costs - or probably need to be working either. Getting a modern steamer is still a DIY affair but some of us are trying to reverse this situation.
As far as options go for long trips on a highway and needing to keep to a schedule I would not rely on a steamer just yet. Electric cars have short range - 40 to 100 miles is typical before needing a recharge - so not suitable. The remaining options are petrol, diesel or hybrid. A compact petrol engined car getting around 40mpg is probably the cheapest form of transport when all costs are considered - namely depreciation, insurances, road taxes, fuel and maintenance. Fuel cost is only about 10 to 15% of running costs.
For fuel economy alone the choice is between a good hybrid and a TDI diesel. Some steam buffs are driving the Toyota Prius - so that should tell you something. VW have about 4 diesels in the top 10 Most Ecomonical Cars list. A Hybrid is very economical in the city and is the cleanest technology - with an extended range battery they are getting very high mpgs by topping up on mains power. Batteries currently last about 7 or 8 years or so, so replacement cost is a factor with a hybrid. A TDI diesel using biodiesel (B5 or more) would be a very safe bet.
Regards,
Graeme</HTML>
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