House of Commons, Great Britain

“ Do you think you exerted your utmost power when you were drawing nine tons?—No, and for the reasons stated, that there was only one wheel affixed to the Engine.
May you not exert your utmost power upon one wheel, taking into consideration that the strain is greater?—No, the wheel would slip round.
Was the surface of the road on which you tried that heavy weight broken up, or in any way rough, to give a greater amount of friction?—No, it was a good hard road. ”

“ What do you suppose is the greatest weight you could draw by that Carriage, at the rate of ten miles an hour?—From forty to fifty hundred weight; it is found to be drawn much easier by dividing the weight into two Carriages than taking it in one only.
Do you work, on an average, at half your utmost power of working with safety to the Engine?—I should think we did. ”

“ As far as you have observed, is the injury done to the roads by the passing of the Carriage, greater or less than that by a Carriage drawn by horses?—I think, taking the horses into the account, the injury must be much less; the tire of the wheels is three and a half inches wide, whereas many of the Stage Coaches are as heavy as the Steam Carriage, and with narrower wheels; and I think it is only fair to take the weight of the horses into the account, which I have found to be from eight to ten hundred weight each horse, consequently, four horses would weigh from a ton and a half to two tons. ”