Oshkosh Steam Wagon

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The Oshkosh Steam Buggy with water tanker and crew

The Oshkosh Steam Wagon , also known as Oshkosh Steam Buggy , Oshkosh Steamer or just Oshkosh , is one of two steam automobiles that took part in a long-distance journey of 200 miles in the US state of Wisconsin in 1878 .

In July 1878, the US state of Wisconsin offered a price of US $ 10,000 for every citizen of the state who invented a "cheap and practical substitute for horses and other animals on the highway (!) And on the farm".

Five residents of Oshkosh built the vehicle and formed the team: The steam boiler maker M.G. "Mart" Battis , the machinist John F. Morse , the fire chief AW "Ans" Farrand and Frank A. Shomer and Alexander Gallinger who make their living selling firewood for the wood-burning locomotives of Chicago & North Western Railroad earned. Their solid and massive steam car weighed around 4.5 tons (10,000 lbs) and had a two-piston steam engine with one forward and one reverse gear. The vehicle could travel approximately 10 miles (16 km) before adding fuel for the burner and water; the supplies were carried on a trailer.

Although slower than its competitor, the even heavier Green Bay Steamer from EP Cowles of Wequiock, Wisconsin, the Oshkosh eventually won the race because Cowles lost too much time repairing it after an accident.

As a result, the government tried to avoid paying out the prize money by arguing - with some justification - that the Oshkosh Steam was neither "cheap" nor "practical". An out-of-court agreement was reached on the payment of half the prize money, of which US $ 1,000 had to be passed on to Cowles.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kimes (1985), p. 631
  2. ↑ a b c Kimes (1985), p. 1051
  3. ↑ a b Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels (2005), p. 31

literature

  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present ; Dutton Press, New York, 2nd edition (hardcover) 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 (English)
  • Kimes, Beverly Rae (editor) and Clark, Henry Austin, jr .: The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , 2nd edition, Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, USA (1985), ISBN 0-87341-111-0 (English)
  • Kimes, Beverly Rae: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America ; Editor SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Permissions, Warrendale PA (2005), ISBN 0-7680-1431-X (English)
  • Race of first steam buggies to Madison for prize is recounted . In: Capital Times (Madison, Wis.) . May 26, 1921 ( full text online in the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society ).

Web links