House of Commons, Great Britain

“ What proportion of injury do you think one of your Steam Carriages does to the road in comparison with the injury done by a Coach drawn by horses proceeding with the same velocity?—Not one-half; first of all they receive no injury from the feet of the horses; a horse must have something to hold by, and the action of a horse's foot is to scrape and dig up the ground. Vehicles drawn by horses of equal weight, have usually narrower wheels, which must increase the injury done to the road. ”

“ To what breadth?—With a given weight there might be given breadths, in my opinion a vehicle carrying four tons weight, the engine itself weighing three tops, should have a tire about four inches and a half in breadth, a flat tire, not a round-tire, and the wheels should be cylindrical. It is decidedly to the interest of Steam Coach proprietors to have the tires broad, as the wheels have a diminished, tendency of sinking into the road. ”

“ You think that the toll collector is so interested in the good state of the road that he would abstain from demanding toll on that ground?—I think, that if they have contracted to keep the road in repair, they would be glad that Steam vehicles should run upon that road in preference to Carriages drawn by animals, because the wheels of Steam Carriages, if the tires are of a proper breadth, act as rollers. ”

“ How did you ascertain that rate; did you make accurate observations at the time?—We know pretty accurately, by observation, at what rate we are going; but we can ascertain with the greatest minuteness, by knowing the number of revolutions made by a wheel of a certain diameter. ”

“ We have gone from the turnpike-gate at Southampton to the four mile stone on the London road, a continued elevation; with one very slight descent; at a rate of 241⁄2 miles an hour, loaded with people. The locomotive vehicles used on the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad would not go at three miles an hour on a common level roads, and would pot ascend any hill; and on account of the diameter of their boilers, cannot, scientifically speaking, be considered safe. The vehicle is under perfect control in every respect. No accident from explosion can take place. ”

“ Our present experimental boiler contains 250 superficial feet of heating surface in the space of 3 feet 8 inches high; 3 feet long; and 2 feet 4 inches broad, and weighs about 800 weight: We supply the two cylinders with steam, communicating by their pistons with a crank axle to the ends of which either one or both wheels are affixed as may be required. One wheel is found sufficient; excepting under very difficult circumstances, and when the elevation is about one foot in six, to impel the vehicle forward. ”

“ Is it your opinion, that in case they exceed three tuns weight, that wheels, three inches wide, improve the road, passing with the velocity, they do?—Certainly; the velocity has nothing to do with the wear of the road. ”