Steam Horse locomotive
Encyclopedia
The Steam Horse was constructed by the Butterley Company
in Derbyshire
in 1813 by William Brunton
(1777–1851). Also known as the "Mechanical Traveller" it had a pair of mechanical legs, with feet that gripped the rails at the rear of the engine to push it forwards at about three miles an hour.
from 1799 to 1815 had brought a great increase in the price of fodder. Moreover, some such "railways" were being constructed on the steeper gradients within canals, as for instance on the Charnwood Forest Canal
.
Nobody believed that steel wheels on smooth steel rails would give enough adhesion until Stephenson
and Hedley
proved otherwise in 1813 and even the former considered 1 in 100 was the absolute maximum grade. Consequently such steam operated systems as there were, were operated by cumbersome cables
, or by the use of an expensive rack and pinion
.
quarry at Crich
to the Cromford Canal
at Amber Wharf, some 1.25 miles (2.01 km) away. Brunton took out a patent
, No. 3700, dated 22 May 1813 for the locomotive. The Butterley locomotive cost a total of £240.
. This locomotive cost £540 and may have had two cylinders. During 1814 and 1815 it hauled loads up a 1 in 36 gradient at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h), but the colliery owners were not happy with it. On 31 July 1815, during a demonstration, the new wrought iron boiler exploded
, killing thirteen spectators and injuring several others, and the idea was not pursued. This incident was the first recorded railway disaster
.
Butterley Company
Butterley Engineering was an engineering company based in Ripley, Derbyshire. The company was formed from the Butterley Company which began as Benjamin Outram and Company in 1790 and existed until 2009.-Origins:...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in 1813 by William Brunton
William Brunton
William Brunton was a Scottish engineer and inventor.He was the eldest son of Robert Brunton of Dalkeith, where he was born...
(1777–1851). Also known as the "Mechanical Traveller" it had a pair of mechanical legs, with feet that gripped the rails at the rear of the engine to push it forwards at about three miles an hour.
Design
To modern readers it may seem a comical contraption, but it provides an interesting insight into railway thought at the time. The collieries were well served between towns by the canal system. From the pit head to the canals, horse-drawn wagonways had been constructed and steam engines were seen as no more than a noisy and dangerous novelty. However the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
from 1799 to 1815 had brought a great increase in the price of fodder. Moreover, some such "railways" were being constructed on the steeper gradients within canals, as for instance on the Charnwood Forest Canal
Charnwood Forest Canal
The Charnwood Forest Canal, sometimes known as the "Forest Line of the Leicester Navigation", was opened between Thringstone and Nanpantan, with a further connection to Barrow Hill, near Worthington, in 1794...
.
Nobody believed that steel wheels on smooth steel rails would give enough adhesion until Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
and Hedley
William Hedley
William Hedley was one of the leading industrial engineers of the early 19th century, and was very instrumental in several major innovations in early railway development...
proved otherwise in 1813 and even the former considered 1 in 100 was the absolute maximum grade. Consequently such steam operated systems as there were, were operated by cumbersome cables
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
, or by the use of an expensive rack and pinion
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
.
Crich
This makes Brunton's idea seem more reasonable, given that the Butterley Company were faced with a gradient of 1 in 50 between its LimestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarry at Crich
Crich
Crich is a village in Derbyshire in England. It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village, and at the summit of Crich Hill above, a Memorial Tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I.Built in 1923 on the site of an...
to the Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
at Amber Wharf, some 1.25 miles (2.01 km) away. Brunton took out a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
, No. 3700, dated 22 May 1813 for the locomotive. The Butterley locomotive cost a total of £240.
Newbottle
The historical record is scanty but it seems that the Steam Horse operated successfully for an unknown period. So much so, that another, larger, one seems to have been built for the Newbottle Colliery, in County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. This locomotive cost £540 and may have had two cylinders. During 1814 and 1815 it hauled loads up a 1 in 36 gradient at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h), but the colliery owners were not happy with it. On 31 July 1815, during a demonstration, the new wrought iron boiler exploded
Boiler explosion
A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. As seen today, boiler explosions are of two kinds. One kind is over-pressure in the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. The second kind is explosion in the furnace. Boiler explosions of pressure parts are particularly associated...
, killing thirteen spectators and injuring several others, and the idea was not pursued. This incident was the first recorded railway disaster
Philadelphia (UK) boiler explosion 1815
The 1815 Philadelphia train accident occurred on 31 July 1815, in Philadelphia, County Durham, England, when an early experimental railway locomotive, Brunton's Mechanical Traveller, suffered a boiler explosion. This engine, also known as the Steam Horse, ran on four wheels but was pushed by...
.