Historical Thursday: London Steam Carriage
Happy September 2! For my first Historical Thursday, we’ll be taking a look at the wins and fails of one man’s attempt at building steam-powered transport.
Richard Trevithick is the godfather of the locomotive; his work with steam engines resulted in the first working steam train in 1804. The high pressure engines he designed broke new ground and gave rise to the power of the locomotive during the 19th century. But before his successes, his poorly designed contraptions had a relatively short life, due to their tendency to explode.
Trevithick’s first model of steam-powered transport, dubbed Puffing Devil, weighed an absurd 1,500 kilos and maxxed out at 9 mph. But its first tests in 1801 were surprisingly successful and are considered to be the first time people have been transported by steam. Unfortunately, this experimental iteration met its demise just a few days after its first run. Because the internal fires were left burning, the carriage burst into flames while the driver decided to pound back a few brews at a nearby pub.
Almost as cool as a penny farthing











