Doble steam cars book

Behind the control panel he is standing at is his burner and boiler. Steam stewart knew about abner doble as early as february 4, 1926 when he started collecting newspaper articles on dobles stock swindle trial. Im not sure where to start so i came here the plan is to build a steam engine and boiler to fit into a first generation ford falcon because it is smog exempt, relatively easy to get a hold of and they look pretty cool. Doble steam cars page 2 general discussion antique. Substantial boilers and water tanks were needed with early steam cars losing up to a. For a number of inconvenient tech reasons, according to the bbc. Seen here as found in john odonnels farm long beach, when dean spencer bought it. During wwii general motors bought many of dobles patents but could find no real use for them. I have a tape recording of his 1967 steam club talk and in that talk he mentioned that he was writing a book. Kimmel steam power, modern steam power, steam engines and. It also includes notes on the other dobles still in existence. Modern steam power plants for cars are already in the 20% range and with a lot of engineering development work can get to 30%. The steampowered car is considered an oldfashioned relic in todays age, but in his latest video showing off his 1925 doble e20, jay leno demonstrates that at its best, steam provided a.

Although many were built, white steamers are rarely seen today. The doble steam car was an american steam car maker from 1909 to 1931. The makers listed here are those active during the first period of steam car production, roughly 18601930, but mostly around 1900. The doble family, the business history, the messy legal goings on, the engineering history and the history of the corporation and every one of the cars is worthy of such a history or not.

I am trying to get the manuscript from lawrence grunder on his work with hughes. Stanley steamer 68%, white 1012%, doble 1012%, pritchard 1215%. One of my heroes was a guy named abner doble, an engineering genius and a perfectionist, who built his first steam car when he was in high. He was only 19 years old then, an obscure houston teenager.

Nov 10, 2010 one of my heroes was a guy named abner doble, an engineering genius and a perfectionist, who built his first steam car when he was in high school. Stewart returned to america in 1927 to work with abner doble in detroit on steam buses and then brought doble to new zealand to build steam buses in auckland. The doble saw about 1012 mpg on kerosene and was a very heavy automobile at 6000 pounds. During wwii general motors bought many of doble s patents but could find no real use for them. The term doble steam car comprises any of several makes of steam powered automobile in the early 20th century, including doble detroit, doble steam car, and doble automobile, severally called. He sustained the effort well after steam cars had been abandoned by the industry. The 11 vehicles that dobledetroit steam motors did deliver proved sluggish and. Its latter models of steam car, with fastfiring boiler and electric start, were considered the pinnacle of steam car development. Stewart, steam stewart, new zealand doble steam motors. The 1924 model doble steam car could run for 1,500 miles on a 24gallon tank 62.

He made brass hand grenade parts during world war ii. Apr 23, 2019 the other problem was abner doble himself. This copy of the general engineering company advertising brochure was not printed on the. He focused his genius on boilers and engines, and built several cars, now regarded as perhaps the best steam cars ever. Stewart almost certainly heard of doble when he spent three months in newton, ma in 1924. Jul 20, 2015 smart news keeping you current heres what steampowered cars were like before the combustion engine the doble brothers built a beautiful steam car in 1924 but mismanagement kept it from. It is true that howard hughes and bill lear worked on steam vehicles. The term doble steam car comprises any of several makes of steampowered automobile in the early 20th century, including doble detroit, doble steam car, and doble automobile, severally called. Whites are viewed by many as the finest of the early steam cars, wellbuilt and costly when new, and greatly appreciated today. The story of the frustrated scotsman with his big speed six bentley is a priceless bit of doble historyi hope jim crank will put it in his book. Abner doble believed steam was superior, and he was the man to tap its potential. The doble family, the business history, the messy legal goings on, the engineering history and the history of the corporation and every one. Two photos showing the doble brother at that dynamometer.

Jay takes you for a ride in the greatest steam car ever built, once owned by howard hughes who took it up to 2. The history of steam road vehicles comprises the development of vehicles powered by a steam engine for use on land and independent of rails, whether for conventional road use, such as the steam car and steam waggon, or for agricultural or heavy haulage work, such as the traction engine the first experimental vehicles were built in the 17th and 18th century, but it was not until after richard. Please feel free to click on the history, archives and links tabs to access our content. This was something he acquired long before hughes aircraft became famous. A marvelous explanation of dobles high performance steam and the work required to get great steam cars right.

Memories of dobles shrewsbury connection have been reawakened by a recent shropshire star feature on steam cars which, in the early years. Their latter models of steam car, with fast firing boiler and electric start, were considered the pinnacle of steam car development. Biography abner doble was born in san francisco, california on march 26, 1890. Doble steam motors corporation photograph collection. Endurance 19241925 were the last steam car manufacturer to commence operations. This general engineering company advertisement appeared in metropolitan magzine in february 1917, p. Perhaps the greatest disadvantage in operating steam cars was that known as firingup, or getting the burner started to raise steam. There is very little information on hughes steam work and most of it is contradictory.

It is a must for anyone who wants to build, repair steam cars or just talk intelligently about them. The peak steam temperature in all cases here were under 800f. Doble bookby jim crank steam automobile club of america. Original factory and aftermarket manuals for every car, truck and motorcycle. The doble steam car was an american steam car maker from 19091931. In 1918, when white ceased production of automobiles to concentrate on commercial trucks, it had produced more than 9,000 steam powered cars. Jay lenos doble steam car steampowered cars with leno. At the age of eight, he began an apprenticeship at. I am using the doble steam car as an example to build my own, not the body just the workings. Do you think it would be possible to put that article from an old light steam power on john woodsons papers area i think many that visit this forum would find your article fascinating. The general engineering company produced this advertising brochure in 1916.

Its astonishing how absent the information is, related to steam cars, as said before jim holds the key to this. The doble brothers built a beautiful steam car in 1924 but mismanagement kept it from being a financial sucess. The history of stanley steam cars in new zealand and more. Phil contacted me about publishing the doble book, i didnt contact him. I want to build a steam engine for an automotive application. Apart from brooks of canada, all the steam car manufacturers that commenced between 1916 and 1926 were in the united states. Mar 12, 2020 the last chapter covers in detail the vehicle produced by american steam automobile co.

Abner doble continued to work as a consultant for hughes and other industrialists on steam engines for buses, cars, even airplanes. In the winter there was the added problem of water freezing. Either by one of the people who call and email for doble information all the time, or a group who can easily finance the book. The video above shows the beautiful 1920s doble steam car owned by jay leno see this article. Dawson 1 times steam cars, 17701970 a montagu motor book by anthony bird 1 times floyd clymers steam car scrapbook by floyd clymer 1 times. So, if the stanley book could be done, why not the complete and exhaustive set of boxed books on the most expensive and highly engineered steam car in history. The doble steam motors corporation photograph collection was received with the abner doble papers formerly called the doble family papers, which were given to the bancroft library by mrs. Smart news keeping you current heres what steampowered cars were like before the combustion engine the doble brothers built a beautiful steam. Jackson 1 times stanley steamer tales of a novice steam car owner and other antique auto adventures by dr. That being said, there is also tonns of stuff related to steam cars in the saca store room, generally produced by club members over the years, and. An important source of antique steam car information. About 40% of americanmade cars in 1900 were steampowered. Media in category doble steam cars the following files are in this category, out of total.

Doble steam cars, buses, lorries and railcars book, 1997. The introduction of diesel traction brought the railways into close contact with development work for road vehicles and marine craft. After the stanleys and doble, there were no commercial steam powered cars for a long time prompting men like charles keen of madison, wisconsin, to build their own steam car. Ive seen both of barrys dobles at the australian steam car rallies and he writes exactly as it happened failures successes etc. Unlike steam engines, which sometimes took as long as a half hour to heat up before the car could even move, internal combustion engines. Modern steam power progressive steam technology page 2. Americanderr continued retrofitting production cars of various makes with steam engines, and doble was the last steam car manufacturer. This site provides information for collectors, historians and fans of white steam cars.

Toms steam vehicles displayed for the 20 saca, chicagoland september steam meet, but this is only a small part. Steam stewart knew about abner doble as early as february 4, 1926 when he started collecting newspaper articles on doble s stock swindle trial. Warren and bill doble in their first steam car 1912 though the doble boys prototype still lacked the convenience of an internal combustion engine, it drew the attention of automobile trade magazines due to its numerous improvements over previous steam cars. The correct owners manual, repair manual, shop manual, parts manual and more. It was a luxury car that film stars and royalty were proud to own. Doble, general engineering company, doble detroit steam motors. Wilhelms 1918 model 735b 7passenger touring stanley steam car an excellent research and restoration expose on the 735 and the stanley motor carriage co. This was in contrast to steam where development tended to be isolated, except for a few experiments with turbines or condensers which were usually related to. We bag most individual magazines in plastic as soon as we get them to. Doble s steam car, in the heat of invention how the steam automobile almost displaced gasoline cars. Their interest in steam cars came from the family owning a 1906 white steamer. Any of several makes of steam powered automobile, including doble detroit, doble steam car, and doble automobile, are referred to as a doble because of their founding or association with abner doble walton j. Attached are the first three pages of that section. Steam car simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Oct 24, 2006 warren and bill doble in their first steam car 1912 though the doble boys prototype still lacked the convenience of an internal combustion engine, it drew the attention of automobile trade magazines due to its numerous improvements over previous steam cars. The last fifty pages were added to the book by clymer himself and present essentially a picture gallery of steam auto advertisments including the highly detailed literature on the incredible 1925 doble steam car. Doble steam cars, buses, lorries and railcars, book, 1966. In the new series, volume xv, this article was published on page 185. Mar 23, 2014 the efficiency of historical steam cars were as follows. Steam cars almost without exception have used a bunsen burner of the vaporizing type, which required preheating to vaporize the fuel. A major disadvantage is that a steam car has to fire up its boiler has to get up to operating temperature. The plymouthbased keen steamliner steam powered car. Oct 14, 2019 modern steam power plants for cars are already in the 20% range and with a lot of engineering development work can get to 30%. In 1917, doble replaced the covers with the doble detroit steam motors name. The first doble series e was sold in 1924, and doble steam motors continued to manufacture steampowered carsvery slowlyfor the next seven years. Doble book by jim crank steam automobile club of america. The last chapter covers in detail the vehicle produced by american steam automobile co. The youngest son of john drumheller, of blanchester, ohio, was experimenting in his back yard, on october th, after the manner of watt.

It seems that young abner and his brother john had an interest in engineering from an early age bought on by their fathers involvement in the abner doble company. This website is about all of the latest work on steam power in the last 75 years. This can take as much as 20 minutes before the car can move. The hartford steam boiler inspection and insurance company wrote a book in 1894, titled.

Doble there is d2, and one of the dobles bought new by howard hughes, e22. This book is so complete it seems like a catalog, instruction book, a historical writeup as well as a biographical writeup of the characters involved, rolled into one book. In 1918, when white ceased production of automobiles to concentrate on commercial trucks, it had produced more than 9,000 steampowered cars. The only prior book on this subject was merely a compilation of technical tidbits. Modern steam power is a little known or understood subject. Announcing a new book about doble steam cars a 200copy limited edition hardback size 229 x 162mm, containing over 54,000 words, over 250 pages over 170 drawings and pictures. The opencycle steam engine in cars and steam locomotives could not go far without adding water. It was scanned from an original copy, so the photos are exceptional and the text easy to read and see the formulas.