Chasing Velocity: A Timeline of Humanity’s Need for Speed

The Ljubljana Marshes Wheel is a wooden wheel that was found in the Ljubljana Marsh some 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, in 2002.[1] Radiocarbon dating, performed in the VERA laboratory (Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator) in Vienna, showed that it was approximately 5,100 to 5,350 years old, which makes it the oldest wooden wheel yet discovered. It was discovered by a team of Slovene archeologists from the Ljubljana Institute of Archaeology, a part of the Research Center at the Slovene Academy of Arts and Sciences, under the guidance of Anton Velušcek.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana_Marshes_Wheel

The earliest known remnants of a sea-faring vessel ever recorded were discovered on an archaeological site called H3 in Kuwait. They are thought to be roughly 7000 years old. The boat was constructed using reeds, which were also utilized by the Ancient Egyptians, whose papyrus skiffs are a better-known example of mankind’s earliest sea-faring vessels. The Egyptians bound the reeds tightly together and pulled the skiff along using oars. This was the prime method of transport via the Nile until around 3000 BC, when papyrus was replaced by wooden planks, and the oars were replaced by a sail. All manners of things were transported by these boats, including building blocks, coffins, and food. Miraculously, a number of these wooden ships still survive today.

Source: https://blog.bridgemanimages.com/blog/a-history-of-sea-vessels

The first means of transport to travel long distances on the water, whether rivers, lakes or seas, were sailing boats. While these vessels originally only had commercial use, over time they ended up having military use.

The first evidence of sailing can be found in the first great civilizations. Boats with sails have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3200 B.C., while there is also evidence that the Sumerians also used them to navigate the Tigris and Euphrates around 3000 B.C. and that the Chinese developed them around 2500 B.C.

The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Babylonians are believed to have been the first civilizations to make use of these sailing vessels. Although there is no evidence that the Egyptians were the first builders of these vessels, they were the first to leave written documents about navigation and ships.

The first element used to build these sailing vessels was papyrus, a material that grew abundantly on the banks of the Nile. Thanks to papyrus, boats were created that were used to cross the river from one bank to the other, even for other activities such as fishing. These rudimentary vessels soon evolved, as when the papyrus was submerged it lost its consistency and the vessel suffered.

There is no doubt that the invention of sailing was the most important event in the history of navigation and, due to the impact and importance it had, work was done on its development over the years.

Source:https://alegriamarineros.com/en/sailing-through-time-the-fascinating-history-of-the-sailing-boat/#:~:text=The%20first%20evidence%20of%20sailing,and%20Euphrates%20around%203000%20B.C.

The oldest known in-tact well preserved sea-faring vessel is the ‘Khufu ship‘ dated to 2500 BC.

The Khufu ship is an intact full-size solar barque from ancient Egypt. It was sealed into a pit alongside the Great Pyramid of pharaoh Khufu around 2500 BC, during the Fourth Dynasty of the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom. Like other buried Ancient Egyptian ships, it was part of the extensive grave goods intended for use in the afterlife. The Khufu ship is one of the oldest, largest, best preserved vessels from antiquity. It is 43.4 meters (142 ft) long, 5.9 meters (19 ft) wide, and 1.78 meters (5.83 ft) deep, and is the world’s oldest intact ship. It has been described as “a masterpiece of woodcraft” that could sail today if put into a lake or a river.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khufu_ship

Light chariots with spoked wheels were developed initially in Syria or Northern Mesopotamia at about the beginning of the 2nd millennium B.C. and quickly propagated all over Middle East. The two-wheeled horsedrawn chariot was one of the most important inventions in history. It gave humanity its first concept of personal transport, and for two thousand years it was the key technology of war. Information on chariots of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Mycenaean and Archaic Greece, China, and Europe, with light and flexible spoked wheels from extant findings of ancient chariots, stone reliefs, and vase paintings is used for a design study of the dual chariot and its evolution in the centuries. Design reconstruction of the dual chariot found in Anyang China is incorporated herewith to prove that its development contains the seeds of a primitive design activity.

Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305375227_The_evolution_of_the_double-horse_chariots_from_the_bronze_age_to_the_Hellenistic_times

The Phoenicians were famed in antiquity for their ship-building skills, and they were credited with inventing the keel, the battering ram on the bow, and caulking between planks. From Assyrian relief carvings at Nineveh and Khorsabad, and descriptions in texts such as the book of Ezekiel in the Bible we know that the Phoenicians had three types of ship, all shallow-keeled. Warships had a convex stern and were propelled by a large single-masted square sail and two banks of oars (a bireme), had a deck, and were fitted with a ram low on the bow.

The second ship type was for transport and trade purposes. These were similar to the first type but, with wide, big-bellied hulls, they were much heavier. They perhaps had higher sides too in order to permit the stacking of cargo on deck as well as below, and they had both a convex stern and bow. Their cargo capacity was somewhere in the region of 450 tons. A fleet might consist of up to 50 cargo vessels, and such fleets are depicted in reliefs being escorted by a number of warships

A third type of vessel, also for trade use, was much smaller than the other two, had a horse-head at the bow and only one bank of oars. Due to its size, this vessel was only used for coastal fishing and short trips. No Phoenician ship has been recovered intact by maritime archaeologists but judging by the pictorial evidence the ships would have been difficult to handle. It is also worth noting that the more oarsmen a ship had then the less room there was for cargo. Greater maneuverability was, therefore, achieved by adjusting the sail when necessary and the use of a double sailing oar.

Source:https://www.worldhistory.org/article/897/the-phoenicians—master-mariners/

Although civilisations like those of Egypt and China are said to have been amongst the first to use postal services, and the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires in modern-day Iraq were using forms of mail delivery before the Persian Empire was founded in the 6th Century BC, the Persians of Iran took the idea of a postal system to previously unseen heights – and then some. They used an extensive network of roads worked by expert horsemen who covered stupefying distances throughout the massive, diverse empire with bewildering speed and unwavering resolve.

The Achaemenid Persians (approx. 550-330 BCE) were able to deliver, through the use of a system of couriers on horseback (known as pirradaziš in Old Persian), messages from one end of the massive Persian Empire to the other in a matter of days. According to scholars, a message could be sent from Susa, the administrative capital of the empire in western Iran, to Sardis, in what is now western Turkey, in between seven and nine days, 

Never before had messages been delivered on such a massive scale. The ancient Persian postal system was powered by horses that operated on a relay system, making journeys speedy and efficient. But the Persians would not have been able to cover the daunting distances they did in so little time had they not been expert horsemen. The ancient Iranians (of whom the Persians were just one of numerous peoples) were redoubtable when it came to horsemanship. The postal system aside, the Iranians inspired the use of cavalry amongst the Athenian Greeks, for example, and also devised the game of polo.

“Historically, the Persian Royal Road was the first major land structure conceived to thoroughly exploit horse transportation and relay,” writes Dr Luc-Normand Tellier in Urban World History: An Economic and Geographical Perspective.

Source:https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200624-iran-the-surprising-origins-of-the-postal-service

Longships were a type of specialized Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the Norsemen (commonly known as the Vikings) for commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age, many of the longship’s characteristics were adopted by other cultures, like Anglo-Saxons, and continued to influence shipbuilding for centuries.

The longship’s design evolved over many centuries, and continued up until the sixth century with clinker-built ships like Nydam. The character and appearance of these ships have been reflected in Scandinavian boat building traditions to the present day. The particular skills and methods employed in making longships are still used worldwide, often with modern adaptations. They were all made out of wood, with cloth sails (woven wool), and had several details and carvings on the hull.

The longships were characterized as graceful, long, narrow, and light, with a shallow-draft hull designed for speed. The ship’s shallow draft allowed navigation in waters only one meter deep and permitted arbitrary beach landings, while its light weight enabled it to be carried over portages or used bottom-up for shelter in camps. Longships were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself. Later versions had a rectangular sail on a single mast, which was used to replace or augment the effort of the rowers, particularly during long journeys. The average speed of Viking ships varied from ship to ship, but lay in the range of 5–10 knots (9–19 km/h) and the maximum speed of a longship under favorable conditions was around 15 knots (28 km/h). The Viking Ship museum in Oslo houses the remains of three such ships, the Oseberg, the Gokstad and the Tune ship.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longship

The Appian Way was a Roman road used as a main route for military supplies for its conquest of southern Italy in 312 BC and for improvements in communication.

The Appian Way was the first long road built specifically to transport troops outside the smaller region of greater Rome (this was essential to the Romans). The few roads outside the early city were Etruscan and went mainly to Etruria. By the late Republic, the Romans had expanded over most of Italy and were masters of road construction. Their roads began at Rome, where the master itinerarium, or list of destinations along the roads, was located, and extended to the borders of their domain – hence the expression, “All roads lead to Rome“.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appian_Way#:~:text=The%20Appian%20Way%20was%20a,was%20essential%20to%20the%20Romans

Travel in Roman times was slow and… exhausting. According to ORBIS, the Google Maps for the ancient world developed by Stanford University, it took six days to go from Rome to Naples vs. about 2 hours and 20 minutes today (source: Google Maps). Because carriages often lacked suspension, they were quite uncomfortable, making travel on the paved Roman roads very tiring. Roman carriages also made a lot of noise due to their iron-shod wheels and could be heard at night as they were forbidden from big Roman cities and their vicinity during the day.

Romans rested at weigh stations called mansiones or “staying places” in Latin or the equivalent of our highway rest areas today. These mansiones were built at regular intervals (15 to miles apart or 25 to 30 km) on Roman roads and had restaurants and pensions where Romans (and their horses) could drink, eat and sleep. They could be quite unsafe as they were often badly frequented with prostitutes and thieves looking to steal from travelers.

The fastest way to travel in ancient Rome was by horse relay called the cursus publicus. The cursus publicus was a state-run postal service similar to the pony express in the US in the 1800’s which was also used to transport government officials (e.g. military officials, magistrates, etc). In order to use this service, government officials had to have a certificate issued by the emperor. The cursus publicus consisted of a series of stations along the major road systems placed at short regular intervals (of approximately 8 miles or 12 km) with fresh and rapid horses.

Historians’ estimates regarding how fast travel was using the cursus publicus vary. In a study called “The speed of the Roman Imperial Post” by A.M. Ramsey (Journal of Roman Studies) time of travel on a typical trip is estimated at 41 to 64 miles per day (66-103 km per day). Therefore, a trip from Rome to Naples using the cursus publicus was approximately two days.

Source:https://www.vita-romae.com/roman-carriages.htmlJ

The Pacific Ocean, with its 180 million square kilometers (70 million square miles), covers a greater surface than the five terrestrial continents combined, which in total hold only 150 million square kilometers (58 million square miles). Fifty million square kilometers (19 million square miles), almost 30% of Moana Nui a Kiwa (Pacific Ocean), make up the Polynesian triangle where the points are the islands of Hawaii, New Zealand and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), all of which were colonized by Polynesian farmers, originally from Samoa, between the years 900 and 1000 A.D.

How did they do it?  How could they face these long voyages?  The investigator Edmundo Edwards, in his book “When the Universe was an Island”, describes the traditional Polynesian canoes as small, light and fragile, without ballast, but balanced by the action of one or two floating outriggers, located on one or both sides of the hull. For long voyages of exploration or commerce or as warships that required more speed, stability and carrying capacity,  they used double canoes connected by beams and tied together with ropes of coconut fiber. These catamarans were outfitted with sails, oars and stone anchors. In 1774, Captain Cook related in his diary that he saw a Tahitian war fleet which was preparing to invade the island of Moorea carrying 7,760 warriors embarked on 160 catamarans and accompanied by 170 outrigger canoes with their supplies.

The Polynesians went to sea in their catamarans for weeks, or even months. With favorable winds, they could sail between 150 and 250 kilometers (95 and 155 miles) in a day at a velocity between 9 and 11 km/hr (5.5 and 7 mph). They had no maps, sextants or compasses, but they did make their own nautical charts with a web of wooden sticks marked with shells and they built their own mental astral compass, due to their great capacities of observation.

Source:https://moevarua.com/en/ancient-traditions-of-polynesian-navigation/

Cugnot’s Fardier à Vapeur set the initial speed record for Automobiles at 3.1 mph (5 km/h)

Specifications

Manufacturer	Cugnot
Model	Fardier a vapeur
Year of production	1769
Start of production	1769
End of production	1769
Body type	Three-wheeler
Number of doors	0
Number of seats	2
Engine position	Front
Number of cylinders	Steam
Capacity	0 ccm, 0 cu-in
Max power (kW/PS/hp)	4/5/5
Gearbox	M1
Weight	12000 kg, 26,456 lb
Maximum speed	4 km/h, 2mph

Source:https://auta5p.eu/lang/en/katalog/auto.php?idf=Cugnot-Fardier-a-vapeur-3504#google_vignette

It was 1769. While missionaries sent by Charles III of Spain were founding the first cities in California and the explorer James Cook was discovering Tahiti, a French military engineer named Nicholas Joseph Cugnot was developing a mechanical system to carry heavy artillery pieces to the battlefield. It was the first automobile in history, a distant cousin of today’s cars.

Cugnot applied the principles of the steam engine, described one century earlier by his fellow Frenchman Denis Papin and perfected in 1763 by the Scotsman James Watt, in what would become a revolutionary invention that gave rise to the industrial era.

Cugnot’s contraption – officially called a fardier à vapeur or steam-powered dray in English – was made up of a gun carriage that would have normally been drawn by horses, but which was adapted for a large boiler where water was heated with firewood, which produced steam. When the steam reached a certain pressure, it powered the pistons of two side cylinders that moved notched discs. The system was similar to a clock’s gears and it transformed the linear motion of the steam engine into a rotational motion, activating the vehicle’s front wheel.

Its many detractors were surely delighted when the vehicle ran into a wall in what is believed to be the world’s first automobile accident.

Cugnot’s carriage was expected to reach a top speed of 9.3 mph (15 km/h), but the absence of any kind of pressure regulation in the boiler made it very difficult to control. To make things worse, the steering system was unwieldy and there were no brakes whatsoever. At nearly three tons of weight, it was not exactly an easy vehicle to handle.

According to testimonies from the era, one of the first tests, which reached speeds of around 3.1 mph (5 km/h), ended with the fardier crashing against a wall, and the project was dropped. But the idea lived on and some of the basic concepts of Cugnot’s vehicle were used later in the 19th century, and still live on to a certain degree in modern automobiles’ DNA.

Source:https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-02-15/its-250-years-old-and-it-still-exists-the-first-automobile-the-world-ever-saw.html

The Pyroscaphe set the initial speed record for Ships at 6 mph (9.65 km/h)

Specifications

Length	13 m
Beam	4.5 m / 14 ft 10 in
Displacement	163t
Complement	3

Source:https://alchetron.com/Pyroscaphe

Pyroscaphe was an early experimental steamship built by Marquis de Jouffroy d’Abbans in 1783. The first demonstration took place on 15 July 1783 on the river Saône in France. After the first demonstration, it was said that the hull had opened up and the boiler was letting out steam, faults common in early steamboats. In this case, it seems to have been easily repaired as the boat was said to have made several trips up and down the river. A month later, on 19 August, the boat carried several passengers who signed a witness protocol for a successful journey.

The Pyroscaphe was propelled by a double-acting steam machine and sidewheels, and was therefore a paddle steamer.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyroscaphe

At a public trial, the Pyroscaphe ran up the Saône at Lyons against the current with a speed of six miles per hour, in the presence of representative scientific men and thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

Source:https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp137201/claude-francois-dorothee-de-jouffroy

 

John Fitch’s Steamboat set speed record for Ships at 7 mph (11.26 km/h)

Specifications:

Length	45 feet (approximately 13.7 meters)
Propulsion System	Side-mounted paddle wheels initially; later versions used stern paddles
Engine	Single-cylinder steam engine
Paddle Configuration	Initially Indian canoe-like paddles mounted on either side of the boat
Materials	Primarily wood for the hull; metal for the engine components
First Commercial Use	Operated on the Delaware River
Speed	Approximately 7-8 miles per hour
Passenger Capacity	Could carry several passengers, though exact numbers vary by source
Significance	First commercial steamboat in the United States

Source: https://www.tumblr.com/ltwilliammowett/189415961498/john-fitch-and-the-first-steamboat

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Fitch

Source: https://www.emergingamerica.org/exhibits/steamboat-barnet/cast-characters/john-fitch

Source: https://thesteamboatingforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=555

 

London Steam Carriage set speed record for Automobiles at 8 mph (13 km/h)

Specifications

Manufacturer	Trevithick
Model	London Steam Carriage
Year of production	1803
Body type	three-wheeler
Number of doors	1
Number of seats	8
Engine position	rear
Drive wheel	rear
Number of cylinders	steam
Capacity	0 ccm, 0 cu-in
Max power [kW / PS / hp]	2 / 3 / 3 at 50 rpm
Length	4905 mm, 193.1 in
Width	2184 mm, 86 in
Height	3454 mm, 136 in
Weight	1900 kg, 4189 lb
Maximum speed	13 km/h, 8 mph

Source: https://auta5p.eu/lang/en/katalog/auto.php?idf=Trevithick-London-Steam-Carriage-16070

The London Steam Carriage was an early steam-powered road vehicle constructed by Richard Trevithick in 1803 and the world’s first self-propelled passenger-carrying vehicle. Cugnot had built a steam vehicle 30 years previously, but that had been a slow-moving artillery tractor, not built to carry passengers.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Steam_Carriage

 

William Felton’s carriage works were close to this spot. In 1803 he built a carriage powered by a steam engine designed and supplied by Richard Trevithick, the great Cornish engineer. The carriage made several trips from here with up to about 8 passengers. In July of that year, one trip was made via Gray’s Inn Lane, Dorset Square and Tottenham Court Road to Paddington, returning the same day via Islington. This was the first self-powered vehicle to run in the streets of London and the world’s first self-powered road people carrier.

The London Steam Carriage heralded the age of the car.

Source: https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/london-steam-carriage

 

The Penydarren Locomotive set the initial record for Trains at 5 mph (8km/h)

Type and origin

Power type	Steam
Builder	Richard Trevithick
Build date	1803
Configuration	Whyte 0-4-0
Operators	Merthyr Tydfil Tramroad

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penydarren

In 1803 Richard Trevithick was employed by Samuel Homfray, the owner of the Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil. Trevithick was asked to produce a locomotive to be used to transport iron from Penydarren to the nearest canal. By February 1804 the Penydarren locomotive was ready for its first trip. On the 21st February it managed to haul ten tons of iron, seventy passengers and five wagons from the ironworks at Penydarren to the Merthyr-Cardiff Canal. During the nine mile journey the Penydarren locomotive reached speeds of nearly five miles an hour.

The Penydarren locomotive, with its single vertical cylinder, 8 foot flywheel and long piston-rod, became the first steam engine to run successfully on rails. Trevithick’s locomotive employed the very important principle of turning the exhaust steam up the chimney, so producing a draft which drew the hot gasses from the fire more powerfully through the boiler.

Trevithick’s Penydarren locomotive only made three journeys. Each time the seven-ton steam engine broke the cast iron rails. Samuel Homfray came to the conclusion that Trevithick’s invention was unlikely to reduce his transport costs and so he decided to abandon the project.

Source: https://spartacus-educational.com/RApenydarren.htm

The Enterprise set speed record for Ships at 8 mph (12.87 km/h)

Type	Wooden paddle steamer
Builder	Gordon & Co., Deptford
Year Built	1825
Launched	February 23, 1825
Tonnage	470 tons
Dimensions	133 feet (length) x 27 feet (beam) x 16.5 feet (depth)
Masts	Three masts with lug sails
Engine	Two-cylinder Maudslay side-lever type
Horsepower	60 hp each
Paddle Diameter	15 feet
Speed	7 knots under steam in calm seas
Cost of Construction	£43,000

Source: https://shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9298

Source: https://www.nma.gov.au/explore/collection/highlights/paddle-steamer-enterprise

 

In 1824 a group of Indian merchants offered a prize of 100.000 rupees for the first steamship to complete a round voyage from Great Britain to India in 140 days.

The ENTERPRISE built as a wooden paddle steamer by Gordon & Co. at Deptford was bought by a syndicate headed by Lieut. J.H. Johnston & Others in 1825, while still building, with the intention to compete for the prize.23 February 1825 launched as the ENTERPRISE.Tonnage 470 tons, dim. 133 x 27 x 16.5ft.Three masts, and carried on all three masts lug sails, an unusual sail for a ship of her size.

Powered by 2-cyl. Maudslay side-lever type steam engines of each 60hp, driving two fifteen-foot diameter paddles, speed by calm sea and under steam 7 knots.

There was so much space required for the machinery and coal bunker that there was only room left for a few passengers.Building cost £43.000.

She left in August 1825 under command of Capt. Johnston from Falmouth with on board 17 passengers and 85 days later she reached Cape Town, during the passage she steamed for only 35 days and the remainder of the days she was sailing.

After 113 days she reached Calcutta, which included ten days for coaling.

07 December 1825 she arrived in Calcutta.

Although the ENTERPRISE had not achieved the passage time stipulated her performance was considered impressive enough to warrant her owners receiving half the prize money.

Source:https://shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9298

The Locomotion No. 1 set speed record for Trains at 15 mph (24.14 km/h)

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Robert Stephenson and Company
Build date	1825; 199 years ago
Specifications
Whyte	0-4-0
Driver dia.	48 in (1.219 m)
Loco weight	6.5 long tons (7.3 short tons; 6.6 t)
Fuel type	Coke
Fuel capacity	1 t (1 long ton; 1 short ton)
Water cap.	240 imp gal or 290 US gal or 1,100 L
Boiler pressure	50 psi (0.34 MPa)
Heating surface	60 sq ft (5.57 m2)
Cylinders	2
Cylinder size	9 in × 24 in (229 mm × 610 mm)
Maximum speed	15 mph (24 km/h)
Tractive effort	1,900 lbf (8.5 kN)
Operators	Stockton and Darlington
First run	27 September 1825
Retired	1857
Disposition	static display at Locomotion, Shildon

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotion_No. 1

 

Rail travel as we know it today began in the North East of England with the opening of the famous Stockton & Darlington Railway. This was a steam hauled railway, open to the public and designed to carry passengers as well as goods. It was the first of its kind in the world.

Crowds of people turned out to witness the opening on 27 September 1825. They had never seen anything like it before. Driven by George Stephenson himself, Locomotion I hauled wagons of coal and flour and a special carriage for passengers called Experiment. The train is thought to have reached speeds of 15 mph.

The success of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, coupled with demand for improved transport and plentiful investment, led to a network of railways which transformed Britain and stretched around the world. Goods could now be quickly and affordably transported across the country, and to coastal ports for shipping. New industries and towns soon developed and people from all walks of life traveled to previously unreachable areas for work, business and pleasure.

Source: https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/locomotion-no-1/

Goldsworthy Gurney’s Steam Carriage set speed record for Automobiles at 15 mph (24.14 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Steam carriage
Year of Manufacture	1829
Manufacturer	Goldsworthy Gurney
Power Source	Steam engine
Top Speed	24 km/h (15 mph)
Average Speed	14 km/h (9 mph) including stops for water and fuel
Journey Achievement	Successfully traveled from London to Bath and back
Passenger Capacity	Designed to carry passengers; specifics on capacity vary, likely several passengers

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Goldsworthy-Gurney

Source: https://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/

Source: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Goldsworthy_Gurney:_Steam_Carriages

Following the sensational success of George Stephenson’s Rocket locomotive in 1829, Gurney undertook to build a steam-powered road vehicle. In the carriage that he constructed he drove from London to Bath and returned at a speed of 24 km (15 miles) per hour; so well did it perform that he built several more and opened a passenger service. Powerful opposition to his invention arose at once among the horse-coach interests, and, although Gurney’s vehicles were not excessively heavy (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tons), they were soon taxed out of existence.

Source:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Goldsworthy-Gurney

George Stephenson’s Rocket set speed record for Trains at 30 mph (12.87 km/h)

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Robert Stephenson and Company
Build date	1829
Whyte	0-2-2
UIC	A1 n2
Gauge	4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.	4 ft 81⁄2 in (1.44 m)
Trailing dia.	2 ft 6 in (0.76 m)
Wheelbase	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Axle load	2 long tons 12 cwt 1 qr (5,850 lb or 2.65 t)
Loco weight	4 long tons 5 cwt (9,500 lb or 4.3 t)
Fuel type	Coke
Grate area	6 sq ft (1 m2)
Boiler	3 ft 4 in (1 m) diameter x 6 ft (2 m) length x 0.25 in (6 mm) Thick
Boiler pressure	50 lbf/in2 (340 kPa)
Firebox	1.6 m2 (17 sq ft) x 2 ft (0.61 m) width x 3 ft (0.91 m) height
Tubes	12.8 m2 (138 sq ft)
Tubes and flues	25 3 in (76 mm) copper tubes
• Total surface	15.2 m2 (164 sq ft)
Cylinders	Two, outside. Angled at 38°
Cylinder size	8 in × 16.5 in (203 mm × 419 mm)

Source: https://www.andivi.com/glossary/stephensons-rocket/

 

The Rocket was a pioneering steam-powered locomotive invented in 1829 by the British engineer Robert Stephenson (1803-1859). For a cash prize, extensive competition trials were held to find the best locomotive in the Rainhill Trials. 

Rocket was built in Newcastle at Stephenson’s company works. The machine used four wheels powered by the steam engine which burnt coal as fuel and which consumed freshwater provided in a tank. The locomotive was not an entirely new design as such but an assemblage of existing ideas with some important tweaks that created a new package of technology. This was the genius of Stephenson. One of the key innovations was actually the idea of Henry Booth (1788-1869), a L&MR director, which was to use not the usual single flue between the firebox and chimney but many narrow fire tubes, later called a multi-tubular boiler. Rocket’s blast pipe was another step forward because it created an ascending current, which gave the engine more power by intensifying the steam. In theory, Rocket’s self-regulating engine made it more efficient and more powerful than any locomotive yet seen. But would it work in practice? Stephenson was confident. In a homage to the stagecoaches he hoped to put out of business, the 4.3-ton Rocket was painted yellow and black.

Rocket, when unfettered by any carriages, reached a top speed of at least 48 km/h (30 mph), otherwise, its average speed during the trials was a more modest 19.3 km/h (12 mph) when pulling around 12 tonnes (the organizers had reduced the original competition tonnage as they wanted to see the possible speed of a passenger-only service). Today these speeds are unimpressive, but at the time, they were a great leap forward, and those watching the trials were astonished at the speed such hulking great piles of metal could achieve. Rocket was a success.

Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Stephenson’s_Rocket/

Stephenson’s Rocket set speed record for Trains at 36 mph (57.93 km/h)

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Builder	Robert Stephenson and Company
Build date	1829
Whyte	0-2-2
UIC	A1 n2
Gauge	4 ft  1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1.435 m)
Trailing dia.	2 ft 6 in (0.76 m)
Wheelbase	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Axle load	2 long tons 12 cwt 1 qr (5,850 lb or 2.65 t)
Loco weight	4 long tons 5 cwt (9,500 lb or 4.3 t)
Fuel type	Coke
Grate area	6 sq ft (1 m2)
Boiler	3 ft 4 in (1 m) diameter x 6 ft (2 m) length x 0.25 in (6 mm) Thick
Boiler pressure	50 lbf/in2 (340 kPa
Heating surface:
• Firebox	1.6 m2 (17 sq ft) x 2 ft (0.61 m) width x 3 ft (0.91 m) height
• Tubes	12.8 m2 (138 sq ft)
• Tubes and flues	25 3 in (76 mm) copper tubes
• Total surface	15.2 m2 (164 sq ft)
Cylinders	Two, outside. Angled at 38°
Cylinder size	8 in × 16.5 in (203 mm × 419 mm)
Valve gear	slip eccentric with manual override
Valve type	flat slide valve with exhaust cavity
Maximum speed	30 mph (48 km/h)
Tractive effort	825 lbf
Operators	Liverpool and Manchester Railway Lord Carlisle’s Railway
Current owner	Science Museum
Disposition	On static display

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenson%27s_Rocket

By 1830 Stephenson’s new locomotive, the Rocket, which could achieve a speed of 36 miles per hour, was operating on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in Lancashire with other ‘iron horses’ built in the factory he had now opened in Newcastle. The railway age had begun and George Stephenson was its guiding spirit.

Source: https://www.historytoday.com/archive/george-stephensons-first-steam-locomotive

 

SS Great Western set speed record for Ships at 9.96 mph (16.03 km/h)

General characteristics:

Type	Oak-hulled paddle-wheel steamship
Tonnage	1,700 GRT
Displacement	2300 ton
Length	71.6 m (234 ft 11 in), later 76.8 m (252 ft 0 in) long
Beam	17.59 m (57 ft 9 in) across wheels
Installed power	73 1/2 diameter 2-cylinder Maudslay steam engine 7ft stroke, 12-15 rpm side lever engines 750 hp (560 kW)
Propulsion	Two paddle-wheels
Speed	8.5 knots
Capacity	128 passengers in 1st class + 20 servants
Crew	60

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Western

It was not a propitious beginning. In July 1837 in Bristol, England, as 50,000 people gathered for the launching of SS Great Western, the largest ship ever built, an unknown shipyard worker was killed when a large piece of timber fell on him. Despite that tragedy, Great Western went on to an illustrious and profitable career.

The ship increased the fame of its designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an engineer already of high renown, who had designed the Great Western Railway operation from London to Bristol. At the opening of the railway Brunel was said to have made the comment that there was no reason to stop at Bristol. Why not continue on to New York City? So outsized was his reputation that a group of investors immediately formed the Great Western Steamship Co. Brunel even agreed to design the new ship for free.

There was already a sailing ship packet service between Liverpool and New York. Companies like the Black Ball and Swallowtail Lines carried cargo and passengers on a regular schedule. Sail-assisted steam ships had proven their worth on coastal passages but it was thought that such vessels wouldn’t be suitable on transatlantic passages as they wouldn’t be able to carry enough coal to make steam, nor could they be built big enough to make a profit. Brunel believed he could design a ship that could use a steam engine paddlewheel that could go transatlantic. For added strength Brunel used iron strapping on the wooden oak hull. Great Western was 252 feet LOA, 57 feet 9 inches at the beam and had a draft of 23 feet. She was 1,230 gross tons, with a capacity of 128 passengers, a crew of 60, carrying 200 tons of cargo. She held up to 800 tons of coal, sufficient for 25 days at full speed. Cruising speed was 8.5 knots. Great Western was outfitted with two side-lever steam engines that produced 750 horsepower. 

On Great Western’s first passage from Bristol to New York, she became a record holder, making the passage at an average of 8.66 knots. From 1838 to 1840, Great Western averaged a 16-day westward passage and a 13-day homeward passage. She completed 45 crossings in eight years.

Source: https://oceannavigator.com/article/great-western-changes-the-game/

The Empire State Express set speed record for Trains at 82 mph (131.96 km/h)

Specifications:

Operator	New York Central Railroad
First Service	September 14, 1891
Route	New York City to Buffalo
Total Distance	436 miles (702 kilometers)
Travel Time	7 hours and 6 minutes (including stops)
Average Speed	61.4 mph (98.8 km/h)
Top Speed	82 mph (132 km/h)
Locomotive	C Class 4-4-0 American Type steam locomotive (#999)
Driver Diameter	86 inches (original configuration)
Train Numbers	50 (Eastbound), 51 (Westbound)
Service Period	1891 – December 2, 1967
End Terminals	Grand Central Terminal (New York) and Central Terminal (Buffalo)
Distance by Segment	435.4 miles (New York – Buffalo), 185.1 miles (Buffalo – Cleveland), 251.7 miles (Buffalo – Detroit)
Consist (Typical)	Coaches, diner-buffet car, run-through sleepers (initially wooden, later upgraded to heavyweight and streamlined cars)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Express

Source: https://www.american-rails.com/empire.html

Source: https://www.trains-and-railroads.com/empire-state-express

Source: https://classicnewyorkhistory.com/history-of-new-yorks-empire-state-express-train/

Source: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Empire_State_Express

 

On September 14, 1891, the Empire State Express became one of the world’s first high-speed passenger train, traveling 436 miles between New York City and Buffalo in 7 hours, 6 minutes.  It averaged 61.4 miles per hour and reached a top speed of 82 miles per hour.

The Empire State Express was the flagship of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (later the New York Central Railroad).  It began daily runs on December 7, 1891 and continued to offer fast trips over long distances, stretching its route 620 miles to Cleveland, 

Ohio.  It also became the first passenger train to schedule trips with a standard speed over 52 miles per hour and the first to run 142.88 miles between stops (New York City and Albany).  This was the longest scheduled nonstop trip at that time.

Source: https://info.mysticstamp.com/the-empire-state-express/

The SS Great Britain set speed record for Ships at 13.8 mph (22.2 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Steam passenger ship
Builder	William Patterson
Laid down	July 1839
Launched	1843
Crew	130 officers and crew
Passengers	360-730
Length	322 ft (15.39m)
Beam	50.5 ft (15.39 m)
Displacement	3066 tonnes
Engines	Two inclined direct-acting steam engines
Horsepower	1000 horsepower (750 kW)
Propeller diameter	Single screw 15.5 ft (4.72m)
Speed	10-11 knots
Coal capacity	1100 tonnes
Water capacity	200 tonnes
Cargo	1200 tonnes
Current location	Great Western Dockyard Bristol

Source: https://irelandmade.ie/ss-great-britain-aground-1846-dundrum-bay-ireland-season-3-episode-44/

 

Designed by the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ‘Great Britain’ was built at Bristol by the Great Western Steamship Company and launched in 1843. The hull was constructed of riveted iron and measured 322 feet in length by 48 feet in the beam and had a tonnage of 2936 gross. In addition to the five-masted sailing rig, it was fitted with a single-screw steam engine capable of producing a speed of 12 knots.

The ‘Great Britain’ was the first large iron ship built as a transatlantic liner and the first to be screw-propelled. On her first voyage to New York, she carried 60 first-class passengers, together with a full complement of steerage passengers and a cargo of 600 tons. Later, she was employed as a cargo and passenger ship to Australia, and after a total of 40 years service, she was damaged in a severe gale off Cape Horn in 1884, beached at Port Stanley and subsequently used as a coal hulk. In 1970, it was decided to bring the hulk back to Bristol for restoration. ‘Great Britain’ is currently displayed in the original building dock and open to the public.

Source: https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66108#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20the%20five,first%20to%20be%20screw%2Dpropelled

 

The Iron Duke Class Locomotive set speed record for Trains at 78.2 mph (125.85 km/h)

Specifications:

Gauge:	7 ft ¼ in
Tractive Effort:	8100 lbs
Cylinders:	18 x 24 in
Boiler Pressure:	100 psi
Weight:	35 ½ tons
Grate Area:	21.7 ft²
Heating Area:	1944 ft²
Drive Wheel Diameter:	8 ft
Brakes:	Screw (hand) fitted on the tender and/or one coach or Brake Van
Fuel:	Coke, Coal after 1860
Remarks:
Built	April 1847
Ceased Work	October 1871
Rebuilt as	Rover Class ‘Iron Duke’

 Source: http://www.broadgauge.org.uk/locos/loco_iron_duke.html#:~:text=Specifications%3A,Coke%2C%20Coal%20after%201860%20%3B%20

 

Isambard Kingdom Brunel built a broad gauge (7ft ¼) line between Paddington and Bristol for high speed running with gentle gradients and minimum curvature. Gooch was the locomotive builder who was aged only 20 when Brunel recruited him in 1837 as Locomotive Superintendent of the GWR. Gooch had previous experience in the employment of Robert Stephenson & Co.

The prototype locomotive and the first engine to be built at Swindon, Great Western, was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846 and in June of that year it achieved a speed of 74½mph. It was designed to show how the 2-2-2 express engines could be improved; its 8-foot-diameter driving wheels were a foot larger than those of the successful FireFly class but It broke its leading axle after a short while in service and was subsequently converted to a 4-2-2 as Gooch considered the problem was the uneven weight distribution. It was rebuilt with the leading wheels set rigidly within the sandwich framing, rather than in a separate bogie, becoming part of the Iron Duke class. 

These engines originally burnt coke but later coal was used. The original water capacity of the tender was increased from the original 1760 gallons to 1880 gallons but later tenders capable of holding 2,700 gallons were attached to the locomotives in order to allow them to run non-stop between Paddington and Swindon.

Locomotives of the Iron Duke class were extremely fast and had an estimated top speed of about 80 mph. In May 1848 a member of the Iron Duke class named Great Britain attained a speed of 78.2mph at Wootton Bassett, eight miles west of Swindon.

Source: https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/iron-duke-4-2-2-gwr-broad-gauge/

The Clipper Ship Flying Cloud set speed record for Ships at 15.5 mph (24.94 km/h)

Specifications:

Vessel type	Clipper ship
Designer	Samuel Hartt Pook (as designer of the earlier near sister vessel Northern Light) and adapted by Donald McKay
Builder	Donald McKay Shipyard
Launched	April 15, 1851
Date Delivered	1851
Date Modified	Various later rig changes
Date Scrapped	June 1875
Length over all	235 feet
Beam	40.7 feet
Depth	21.5 feet
Draft	about 14 feet
Rig Type	Extreme (actually medium) clipper, 3 masted fully rigged
Cruising Speed	Common average speed on ocean passages was 7 knots, but that accounted for windstill periods. These vessels commonly moved at 11 knots once the breeze came in.
Maximum Speed	Sailed 374 miles in 24 hours or over 15.5 miles per hour on July 31, 1851.

The Flying Cloud is a mid-era square rigged clipper ship. In the late 1700’s there was a type of vessel referred to as a Baltimore Clippers, but these vessels were smaller vessels that were generally schooner rigged. In the 1840’s a new type of ship was developed and these were square rigged three masters, intended to carry passengers and high value cargo (tea and opium) on fast long passages. These vessels were called clippers and were very popular from about 1845 to about 1869 with the opening of the Suez Canal. The clippers built from the 1840’s to about 1855 were often extreme clippers which had a deep V shaped underwater hull, but around 1850 American builders started building clippers that had flatter bottoms, which provided more cargo space and were found to be no slower than the extreme clippers. These clippers were called medium clippers, but for marketing purposes often the owners would still call them extreme clippers. Clippers were generally built in wood, but some clippers were built of iron and later on in composite construction, which meant they had iron frames and wooden hull planking. After the opening of the Suez Canal (and the transcontinental railroad in the US) the high value cargo and passenger trade shifted to steam powered vessels (and for certain trades, trains) and large sailing ships were delegated to the lower value bulk cargo trade (grain, wool, ores and guano). This reduced the need for sailing vessel speed and resulted in the design of sailing ships that optimized cargo capacity over pure speed.

Grinell, Minturn, and Company, New York purchased her in 1851 for $90,000 for transoceanic travel. Flying Cloud sailed from New York to San Francisco in 89 days and 21 hours under the command of Josiah Perkins Cressey with Eleanor, his wife, as the navigator on her maiden voyage from June 2 to August 31. On another voyage she sailed from Whampoa, China to New York in 94 days from January 6 to April 9, 1852. She sailed from April 28 to August 12, 1853 from New York to San Francisco while making record time from Sandy Hook to the Equator in 17 days, when she crossed it on May 15. Her 1854 passage from New York to San Francisco was a record-holding 89 days and 8 hours. Dismasted partially twice, once in 1856 and again in 1858. She sailed from Deal, England to Melbourne in 85 days from February 28 to May 24 1861. Mackay & Co. of Liverpool bought her but mortgaged her and she sailed for the “Black Ball Line” in 1862. She continued to sail for Australia from Gravesend, England and eventually was sold to South Shields in 1871, but ran aground in 1874 on the sandbar of Beacon Island, St. John’s. Condemned and sold, she swallowed for a year until she was burnt for copper scraps.

Source: https://navesinkmaritime.org/page-1228114#:~:text=Maximum%20Speed%3A%20Sailed%20374%20miles,Reynard

Source: https://navesinkmaritime.org/page-1228114#:~:text=Maximum%20Speed%3A%20Sailed%20374%20miles,Reynard

 

 

The Amédée Bollée’s L’Obéissante set speed record for Automobiles at 24.85 mph (40 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Steam vehicle
Year of Manufacture	1873
Manufacturer	Amédée Bollée
Power Source	2 x 2-cylinder V steam engines
Horsepower	15 hp
Transmission	Manual, 3-speed gearbox, chain-driven
Body	Chassis with independent suspension, chain-driven steering with elliptical pinion
Dimensions	Weight: 4800 kg, SCx (frontal area): 0.75 m²
Passenger Capacity	12 passengers, plus driver and chauffeur
Performance	Cruising Speed: 30 km/h, Maximum Speed: 40 km/h, Climb Capability: 12% gradient
Journey Achievement	Completed a 230 km trip from Le Mans to Paris in 18 hours

Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L’Ob%C3%A9issante

Source: https://www.motorsdb.com/

Source: https://magazine.derivaz-ives.com/

Source: https://www.stolenhistory.org/

In 1873 Amédée Bollée, a bell founder by trade, built the first steam-powered mechanically propelled vehicle capable of transporting twelve passengers, a conductor and a driver. Baptized L’Obéissante (The Obedient) due to its very smooth steering, it was subsequently presented as the first high-speed automobile. With its tubular boiler, chain drive and two two-cylinder V-engines, it could maintain a speed of 30 km/h, reach 40 km/h and mount 12% gradients. On 9 October 1875, at the wheel of his creation, Amédée Bollée covered the 230 kilometers from Le Mans to Paris in 18 hours, including stops for water and meals. When he arrived in the capital, despite his triumphal welcome, the Paris constabulary booked Bollée some seventy-five times, but he was never prosecuted.

Source:https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/l-ob%C3%A9issante-steam-powered-omnibus-am%C3%A9d%C3%A9e-boll%C3%A9e/1AEtYSOCVBmKuA?hl=en

The RMS Umbria set speed record for Ships at 22.12 mph (35.6 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	1884: 7,129 GRT, 3,268 NRT
Length	501.6 ft (152.9 m)
Beam	57.2 ft (17.4 m)
Depth	38.2 ft (11.6 m)
Decks	6
Installed power	1,559 NHP
Propulsion	3-cylinder compound engine
Sail plan	barquentine
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h)
Capacity	1885: 550 First Class 800 Second Class 1892: 500 First Class 160 Second Class 800 Third Class
Crew	560

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Umbria

 

Umbria had two large funnels that gave the outward impression of great power. She had three large steel masts that were barquentine-rigged. Another innovation was that she was equipped with refrigeration machinery, but it was her single-screw propulsion that would bring her the most publicity later in her career.

The ship epitomized the luxuries of Victorian style. The public rooms in the first class were full of ornately carved furniture, heavy velvet curtains hung in all the rooms, which were decorated with the bric-a-brac that period fashion dictated. The rooms and the first-class cabins were situated on the promenade, upper, saloon, and main decks. There was also a music room, a smoking room for gentlemen, and separate dining rooms for first- and second-class passengers. By the standard of the day, the second-class accommodation was modest but spacious and comfortable.

Cunard registered Umbria at Liverpool. Her United Kingdom official number was 91159 and her code letters were JPWV.

By early October 1884 she had completed her sea trials and, on 1 November 1884, she set off to New York City on her maiden voyage. She was commanded by Captain Theodore Cook, who was Cunard’s senior captain.

In 1887, Umbria gained the prestigious Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic between Europe and North America. when, on 29 May, she beat her sister ship‘s record of the year before. She set off from Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland to cross the North Atlantic, westbound. She reached to Sandy Hook on 4 April, in 6 days 4 hours and 12 minutes, averaging a speed of 19.22 knots (35.60 km/h; 22.12 mph) and covering a distance of 2,848 nautical miles (5,274 km; 3,277 mi).

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Umbria#External_links</span&

The SS City of Paris set speed record for Ships at 25.53 mph (41.08 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Steamship
Tonnage	10,508 GRT, 5,589 NRT
Displacement	17,270 tons (17,550 tonnes)
Length	560 ft (170 m)
Beam	63 ft (19 m)
Installed power	18,000 hp (20,880 kW)
Propulsion	Triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, twin propellers.
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Crew	362 Officers and crew

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_City_of_Paris_(1888)

 

At the time of launching the “City of Paris” was considered to be the most complete, the most luxurious, and the most commodious of its kind on the ocean. Her appearance was much the same as her sister ship, the City of New York which had been launched earlier the same year. However, the City of Paris was described as having better lines than the City of New York. There were also differences in fittings, in rig, in machinery and appointments.

The City of Paris was constructed with 3 masts, all the lower masts being of iron, with the topmasts of wood mounted in sockets. She was barkentine rigged. On the foremast there were a foreyard, a topsail-yard, and a top-gallant-yard. The main and mizzen masts were fore and aft rigged, fitted also with gaff topsails.

The steamers City of Paris and City of New York were of about 10,800 tons burden; 560 feet, in length, 63¼ feet beam, and 59 feet of depth from the top of the upper cabins to the keel. The distance from keel to bridge was 70 feet. The promenade deck was open from stem to stern and the distance around it was 1,120 feet. The four principal decks had 108,000 square feet of surface. The entire vessel had about 1,000,000 cubic feet of space. The cabin passengers had 400,000 cubic feet of that, the machinery and boilers 322,000, the cargo and emigrants the remainder. The City of Paris was fitted to carry 1,371 passengers.

She had a complete double bottom to increase the security and keep her from sinking in case of damages to the hull. The space between the two bottoms could be used for water ballast when needed. It would be pretty hard to break the vessel’s bottom, as the plates were tested by the application of 60,000 tons of tensile force and by bending them double without breaking when cold. There were in the whole ship 40,000 such plates, weighing 7,000 tons. The hull was divided into 15 water-tight compartments. They were separated by solid bulkheads athwartships, rising 18 feet above the water line and having no doors or openings of any kind. It was impossible to pass from one compartment to the next without going to the saloon deck and passing over the top of the bulkhead.

On her trail trip the City of Paris made over the measured mile a speed of 22.19 knots per hour, and averaged nearly 20 knots per hour. She had two screws, one on each side of the rudder, and each screw had its own set of triple expansion engines. This would prevent the consequent disabling of the ship in case of breaking down of machinery. The City of New York and the City of Paris were the first passenger vessels in the Atlantic service thus equipped. If one screw, shaft, or engine was to brake down the other would drive the ship ahead without great loss of speed. This came in handy in 1896 when she broke her starboard tube shaft when 320 miles east of Sandy Hook on way from New York to Southampton.

Source: https://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=cipa2

The RMS Campania set speed record for Ships at 26.46 mph (42.58 km/h)

Tonnage	12,950 GRT
	4,973 NRT
Displacement	18,450 tons
Length	622 ft (189.6 m)
Beam	65 ft 3 in (19.9 m)
Draft	29.9 feet
Depth	41 ft 10 in (13.7m)
Installed power	12 double-ended Scotch boilers, 102 furnaces. Two five-cylinder triple expansion engines producing 31000shp direct to twin screws
Propulsion	Two triple blade propellers
Speed	Service speed 22 knots (40.5 km/h / 25.3 mph); top speed 23.5 knots (43.3 km/h / 27 mph)
Capacity	600 first class, 400 second class, 1,000 third class. 2,000 total
Crew	424

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Campania

Built in Glasgow, its maiden voyage was on 22 April 1893. In less than two months, the Campania set new speed records for the Atlantic crossing. With a maximum speed of 23 knots, the trip from Queensland (Cobh), Ireland to New York now took just 5 days 17 hours and 27 minutes. Then in August 1894 she made her fastest crossing in 5 days, 9 hours, and 21 minutes at an average speed of 21.59 knots. In 1900 while traveling at 10 knots, she collided with the barque Embleton in thick fog in St. George’s Channel in the Irish Sea. The Embleton was sliced into two and sank with the loss of 11 lives.

The Campania set the standard for transatlantic travel for the next four years. In 1901 she became the first ship ever to be fitted with a Marconi Wireless Telegraph. By April 1914 she had completed 250 round voyages. In 1914, the ship was converted to an aircraft carrier and used in the Great War.

On October 15, 1914 she was sold to T.W. Ward for breaking up, but on November 27, 1914 the British Admiralty bought the ship and had her re-built as an aircraft carrier by Cammell, Laird & Co, Birkenhead. In April 1916 she entered service as the HMS Campania. On November 5, 1918 the Campania’s anchor chain broke in a storm in the Firth of Forth. The ship was driven against the projecting forefoot of the HMS Revenge, and was so badly damaged that she sank. All crew were saved.

Source: https://www.jacknilan.com/genealogy/campania.html

The Empire State Express No. 999 set speed record for Trains at 112 mph (180.24 km/h)

Specifications:

Power type	Steam
Builder	NYC West Albany Shops
Build date	1893
Configuration
• Whyte	4-4-0
Gauge	4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.	86.5 in (2,197 mm) later: 70 in (1,778 mm)
Adhesive weight	84,000 lb (38.1 tonnes)
Loco weight	124,000 lb (56.2 tonnes)
Fuel type	Coal
Boiler pressure	180 lbf/in2 (1,241 kPa)
Cylinders	Two, outside
Cylinder size	15 in (381 mm)
Career
Operators	New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
Numbers	999, renum 1086 in 1913, 1021 in 1920
First run	May 1893
Retired	1952
Current owner	Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
Disposition	On static display, based in Chicago, Illinois

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_and_Hudson_River_Railroad_No._999

 

The 999 Steam Locomotive was a new concept in speed locomotives. Engine 999 was assigned to haul the New York Central Railroad’s brilliant new passenger train, the Empire State Express. On May 10, 1893, the 999 became the fastest land vehicle when it reached a record speed of 112.5 mph. The 999 maintained the record for a decade.

Designed by William Buchanan and manufactured by the New York Central Railroad in West Albany, New York in 1893, the 999 was commissioned to haul the Empire State Express, which ran from Syracuse to Buffalo. This relatively smooth run and the 999’s cutting-edge design gave the new locomotive an opportunity to make history.

Following its record-setting run, “The World’s Fastest Locomotive” toured the country and was displayed at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After the Exposition, the 999 continued to provide passenger and freight service for many years. The famous locomotive returned to Chicago in 1933 for the Century of Progress World’s Fair and again from 1948-49 for the Chicago Railroad Fair.

Eventually, technological innovation in the railroad industry limited the 999’s use. In May of 1952, following a reenactment of its record-breaking run, the 999 was retired from service.

Source: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/transportation-gallery/the-exhibit/999-steam-locomotive#:~:text=The%20999%20Steam%20Locomotive%20was,record%20speed%20of%20112.5%20mph

 

The Turbinia set speed record for Ships at 40 mph (63 km/h)

Specifications:

Displacement	44.5 long tons (45.2 t)
Dimensions	104 ft 9in x 9ft x 3ft (31.93 x 2.7 x 0.91 m)
Propulsion	3-shafts/stage AF DA Parsons steam turbine 170/200 psi, water-tube boiler 2,100 ihp (1,600 kW)
Speed	34.5 knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph)
Range	c200 nm
Armament	None
Crew	12

Source: https://naval-encyclopedia.com/ww1/uk/turbinia.php#google_vignette

 

Turbinia was launched on 2 August 1894. Despite the success of the turbine engine, initial trials with one propeller were disappointing. After discovering the problem of cavitation and constructing the first cavitation tunnel, Parsons’ research led to his fitting three axial-flow turbines to three shafts, each shaft in turn driving three propellers, giving a total of nine propellers. In trials, this achieved a top speed of more than 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph), so that “the passengers aboard would be convinced beyond all doubt Turbinia was Charles Parsons’ winning North Sea greyhound”.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbinia

 

26 June 1897, during the Naval Review at Spithead in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, Charles Algernon Parsons’ experimental vessel “Turbinia” sneaked unannounced into a race of the Royal Navy’s fastest destroyers, easily outran them, thereby breaking all speed records for ships and setting the standards for the propulsion of ships to this day.

Charles Algernon Parsons already had become a talking point when he caused the first recorded fatal accident involving a self-constructed horseless carriage and his cousin Mary, before he began to study engineering in earnest, graduated with first-class honors and set forth to revolutionize the world of propulsion. Working first on rocket-powered torpedoes for W.G. Armstrong and a couple of years later for the British engineering firm as head of electrical equipment development on the development of a turbine engine to drive an electrical generator. As an alternative method of propulsion to the standard 19th century steam engine, Parsons’ steam turbine was about to change the world – even though naval authorities would hear nothing about it at first, every bit as they tried to ignore steam power and armor half a century before.

Parsons decided to pull a PR stunt to promote his invention that would indeed open the eyes of the world. The Naval Review at Spithead was not only a show to celebrate the might of Britannia’s navy ruling the waves but had international naval notables present as well. Parsons had equipped a perfectly streamlined yacht with his new steam turbines, calling her in a pang of an engineer’s linguistic innovativeness “Turbinia” and lined her up among the civilian vessels on the Thames watching the parade of state-of-the-art warships passing by. When the destroyers were about to start their announced race, Parsons hoisted a red ensign aboard of “Turbinia”, left the civilians’ cordon of ships, leaving the Navy’s patrol vessels simply flat behind.

A really fast destroyer could reach a top speed of 27 knots (31 mph / 50 kph) in 1896, “Turbinia” flew down the Thames at 34 knots (40 mph / 63 kph), leaving nothing to be desired in terms of speed and while the yacht was greeted with a barrage of catcalls from the audience when she started her race, everyone, including the Admiralty, was speechless when she finished.

Source: https://wunderkammertales.blogspot.com/2015/01/charles-algernon-parsons-turbine.html

 

The Jeantaud Duc set speed record for Automobiles at 57.6 mph (92.69 km/h)

Specifications:

Engine	Electric
Weight	1,400 kg
Power	36 bhp
Transmission	Chain drive rear wheels
Top Speed	57.60 mph

Source: https://gregwapling.com/hotrod/land-speed-racing-history/land-speed-racing-jeantaud.html

 

The Jeantaud was a French automobile manufactured in Paris from 1893 until 1906. It was the brainchild of Charles Jeantaud, a coachbuilder who built his first electric carriage in 1881. Among the vehicles he constructed was the first car to set a land speed record (39.24 mph (63.15 km/h) , driven by Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat), as well as coupes and hansom cabs; in these the driver sat high, and to the rear. Some cars had an unusual bevel-gear front-wheel-drive layout. From 1902 to 1904, Jeantaud offered a range of gas-engined cars similar to 1898 Panhards.

The first recorded motoring competition was in 1894 from Paris to Rouen in which all kinds of improbable cars driven by steam, electricity and petrol engines took part.

The first race proper was in the following year from Paris to Bordeaux and back. In these early days the two main champions of the electric car were the Marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat and the Belgian, Camille Jenatzy.

The Marquis was a founder member of the Automobile Club de France in 1895, and his driver was his younger brother, Count Gaston.

Count Gaston took it to a deserted stretch of road outside Paris near the hamlet of Acheres, between the villages of St. Germain and Constans to make what became the first attempt on the World Land Speed Record.

The timekeepers operated their primitive apparatus in one direction only over a flying kilometre, and were no doubt thankful to be finished on a cold, wet day and to seek shelter. Count Gaston was told, after due calculation, that he had achieved a time of 57 seconds, giving him a speed of 39.24 miles an hour.

This car, whose thunder was largely stolen by the much better-known “La Jamais Contente”, is really entitled to a place in the hall of fame on several counts. It was the first car to hold the World Land Speed Record. It was the first (but not the last) electric car to do so, and also held the record twice.

Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat then re-built and re-bodied the car and took the record for a third time in 1899. This car took part in, or was in fact the cause of, the three-cornered battle between steam, electricity, and the petrol engine which was fought during the first five years of the motor car and decided what the whole world would use for the next 65 years at least.

Count Gaston made his records over a flying kilometre in one direction only, before there was much control over these attempts. His car was an ugly chain-driven machine in which he sat high off the ground and steered by a vertical handle projecting from the first steering wheel on record in times when the tiller was universal. It was strictly a sprint machine as the batteries of the day gave him only a short range without recharging.

Source: https://gregwapling.com/hotrod/land-speed-racing-history/land-speed-racing-jeantaud.html

The La Jamais Contente set speed record for Automobiles at 65.8 mph (105.89 km/h)

Features
Engine Location	Front
Drive Type	Rear Wheel
Weight	3197 lbs | 1450.135 kg
Seating Capacity	1
Performance
Top Speed	106 km/h | 65.879 mph
Handling
Tires / Wheels
Tires	Michelin

Source: https://www.conceptcarz.com/s17970/la-jamais-contente.aspx

 

This was a phenomenal speed for the period, all the more remarkable for the fact that Chasseloup-Laubat’s car was a standard touring vehicle fitted with a special body. Not in the least discouraged, Jenatzy set about building a new car with the express purpose of regaining the speed record. This was the famous Jamais Contente (Never Satisfied), a wonderful metal torpedo on wheels which was the first real purpose-built racing car ever.

Its bullet-shaped body was made by Rheims & Auscher and was of partinium, a primitive aluminium alloy. To eliminate friction losses in the transmission, the electric motor was mounted directly on the driving axle. As a result, the car was fitted with the smallest wheels and tyres yet seen.

The low, streamlined effect was somewhat nullified by the fact that Jenatzy had to sit on top of the body, with only his nether regions inside the cockpit; nevertheless, after one false start, the car achieved his ambition of being the first vehicle to exceed 100 kph, his actual figure being 105 kph (65.8 mph). Not everyone was impressed, though. W. Worby Beaumont wrote in his massive Motor Vehicles and Motors: ‘This is without doubt a higher speed than any other human being has ever travelled on roads, but it was only for about three-quarters of a mile that it was maintained. This vehicle was of no use in any way as a guide for any other class of vehicle’.

Source: https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/drivers/bio/camile_jenatzy

The Zossen High-Speed Railcar set speed record for Trains at 130.38 mph (210 km/h)

Specifications:

Type	Three-phase electric railcar
Manufacturers	Siemens & Halske, AEG
Operators	Royal Prussian Military Railway
Year of Testing	1903
Track Electrification	Three-phase power at 10 kV/50 Hz
Overhead Line Height	5 to 7 meters
Maximum Speed Achieved	210.2 km/h (130.6 mph) by AEG railcar on 28 October 1903
Power Output	1,475 hp (1,100 kW)
Vehicle Dimensions	Standard size, capacity for 50 passengers
Bogie Configuration	Two six-wheel bogies, with the outer axle being motorized
Electrical System Voltage	6–14 kV, operating at 25–50 Hz
Record-Breaking Dates	206 km/h by Siemens railcar on 6 October 1903, 210.2 km/h by AEG railcar on 28 October 1903

Source: https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/history/stories/speed-world-record-1903.html

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_three-phase_railcar

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Prussian_Military_Railway

 

Test runs at world-record speed – The Zossen high-speed railcar reaches 210 kilometers per hour

The first test runs were conducted on a section of track on the Royal Military Railway that was specially equipped with a three-phase overhead line. In early October 1903, on the 23-kilometer stretch of test track between Berlin-Marienfelde and Zossen, the Siemens railcar reached speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour for the first time in the history of rail travel. The AEG railcar equipped with Siemens bow collectors ultimately set a world record of 210 kilometers per hour that was to last for 50 years. These test-runs impressively demonstrated that high-voltage alternating current was suitable for the high speeds that were envisioned for long-distance travel.

The single-phase alternating current system prevails – Real-life operation can begin

Nevertheless, because the alternating-current technology was not yet mature, the successfully tested rail electrification system did not go into real-life operation. There were two major arguments against using the system in everyday rail operation: multiple poles were required to support the overhead lines, leading to complications at the track switches and intersections, and the ability to regulate the rotational speed of the electric motors was limited.

As a result, the single-phase alternating-current system gained acceptance. In 1912, a cross-border agreement was reached, establishing a 15-kilovolt, 16.7-hertz rail electrification system that is still used in Central Europe today. A single-pole overhead line supplied power for the system. The use of single-phase alternating current made it possible to transform the voltage for the low-loss control of rotational speed, while the low frequency allowed for the construction of powerful traction engines early on – thus enabling the entire system to be flexibly adapted to the relevant route requirements. 

Source: https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/history/stories/speed-world-record-1903.html

 

The Wright brothers’ Flyer I set the initial speed record for Airplanes at 31 mph (49.88 km/h)

Specifications:

Length	21 ft, 1in
Wingspan	40 ft, 4 in
Height	9 ft, 4 in
Empty weight	605 lbs
Engine	inline 4 cylinder, water-cooled, 170 lbs., 12 hp
Propellers	two, 8 ft, 6 in
Maximum speed	30 mph (est.)
Service ceiling	30 ft (est.)

Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/wrightflyer.htm#:~:text=Though%20their%20airspeed%20was%20only,one%20longer%20than%20the%20previous.&text=Maximum%20speed%2D%2030%20mph%20(est.)

 

The Wright Flyer (sometimes called the Flyer 1 or the 1903 Flyer) was the first heavier-than-air, powered aircraft to fly successfully. On December 17th, 1903 at 10:35 AM, after years of experimentation, the aircraft flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, ushering in the aviation age.

The Wright Flyer was in many ways a natural extension of the gliders that the Wright brothers had built and tested since 1900. However, to account for the extra weight that an engine and propellers would bring to the aircraft, they had to extend the wing area to more than 500 square feet. Extending the wing area of course meant adding even more weight, and by the time of its maiden flight, the Flyer’s empty weight reached 605 lbs.

As for the engine, the brothers reached out to many different automobile manufacturers in the hope of finding a lightweight gasoline-powered engine that could efficiently power the aircraft. Since nothing available suited their needs, the Wrights turned to their friend and coworker Charlie Taylor, who was able to build an engine from scratch.

Though the engine design was crude, even by the standards of the day, it had some remarkable features. An inline, four cylinder water-cooled engine, its crankcase was made of aluminum to reduce weight, the first time an aircraft engine had an aluminum component. Today, the majority of aircraft engines are made of aluminum. In operation, the engine could push 12 horsepower.

The engine was mounted to the right of the pilot’s cradle, necessitating the extension of the right wing by four inches, bringing the total wingspan of the Flyer to 40 feet, 4 inches. A biplane canard wing design (pitch was controlled by two small stabilizers at the front of the aircraft instead of the more common tail configuration seen on modern airplanes; the rudder was at the rear), the aircraft’s total length was 21 feet, 1 inch. Its total height reached 9 feet, 4 inches.

The Wrights realized through experimentation and calculation that a propeller acted as a rotary wing, that it could provide both lift and thrust. They constructed two wooden propellers for the aircraft, each one measuring 8 feet, 6 inches and placed ten feet apart. They were slow turning and rotated away from each other (the left rotated counterclockwise, the right clockwise) so as to reduce negative gyroscopic effects on the aircraft in flight. The propellers were powered by a simple yet effective sprocket and chain transmission, not dissimilar to the operation of a bicycle.

The frame of the Flyer itself was made of both spruce and ash, two types of wood that are lightweight yet durable. The brothers covered the frame of the aircraft in unbleached, untreated muslin to provide a strong yet aerodynamic covering.

If you were to enter the “cockpit” of the Wright Flyer as the brothers did at Kitty Hawk in the fall of 1903, you would lie prone in a hip cradle designed to warp the wings and control the rudder. A wooden lever in your left hand would control the elevator and you would have a rudimentary instrument panel at your disposal, consisting of a stopwatch and anemometer. A revolution counter was mounted at the base of the engine. All instruments could be turned off along with the engine by a single wooden lever located on the lower wing.

On December 17th, 1903, at precisely 10:35 am, Orville Wright lifted off from the launching rail at Kitty Hawk (to account for taking off and landing in deep sand, the aircraft had no landing gear, rather the launching rail system consisted of four 15-foot 2x4s with a total length of 60 feet) and flew for 12 seconds at an altitude of 8 feet, landing 120 feet away. Though their airspeed was only 31 mph and their flight was shorter than the length of a modern passenger airliner, the Wright brothers had achieved the impossible. Three more flights were made that day, each one longer than the previous.

Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/wrightflyer.htm#:~:text=Though%20their%20airspeed%20was%20only,one%20longer%20than%20the%20previous.&text=Maximum%20speed%2D%2030%20mph%20(est.)

The Gobron-Brillié set speed record for Automobiles at 130.38 mph (210 km/h)

Specifications:

Manufacturer	Gobron-Brillié
Model	110 HP
Year of production	1904
Body type	roadster
Number of doors	0
Number of seats	2
Engine position	front
Drive wheel	rear
Fuel	petrol
Number of cylinders	inline 4
Cooling	liquid
Capacity	13547 ccm, 822.8 cu-in
Bore	140.0 mm, 5.512 in
Stroke	220.0 mm, 8.661 in
Aspiration	normal
Max power [kW / PS / hp]	81 / 110 / 108
Gearbox	M4
Wheelbase	3000 mm, 118.1 in
Weight	975 kg, 2150 lb
Maximum speed	167 km/h, 104 mph

Source: https://auta5p.eu/lang/en/katalog/auto.php?idf=Gobron-Brillie-110-HP-6138#google_vignette

 

On 21 July 1904, on the beach at the Ostende Automobile Week, the French driver Louis Rigolly set a world land speed record of 103.561 mph. He was the first man to drive a car at over 100 miles an hour.

The car he drove is seen here: a 13.5-litre 4-cylinder Gobron-Brillié racing car. He covered the 1-kilometre course in 21.6 seconds, beating the Belgian Pierre de Caters, who briefly held the world land speed record from the previous May after driving a Mercédès Simplex at 97.25 mph over the same 1-kilometre course.

Societé des Moteurs Gobron-Brillié was founded by the French engineer, Eugène Brillié, and industrialist, Gustave Gobron, at 13, quai de Boulogne, Boulogne-sur-Seine, near Paris, in 1898. The most remarkable feature of these cars lay in their engines. Within each cylinder were two opposed pistons. The lower one drove the crankshaft in the normal way, but the upper one was attached to a yoke with long connecting rods front and rear that descended to the crankshaft. Ignition was triggered as the two pistons approached each other; the inlet and exhaust valves were also placed at this point where the pistons were closest together. The main advantage of this curious arrangement is improved balance of forces in the engine – and at least three other vehicles used opposed pistons for this reason. The Scottish Arrol-Johnston arranged cylinders horizontally in their early cars (from 1895 to at least 1905), driving a single crankshaft below the cylinders through rockers. As late as 1950 Commer introduced a 2-stroke diesel engine with the same configuration, to power its lorries, thus allowing a ‘cab-forward’ layout with better visibility. The French Bardon company (1900-1903) achieved even more perfect balance from horizontal cylinders driving two separate crankshafts, geared together.

Early Gobron-Brillié engines were fed by a revolving petrol distributor instead of a carburettor, with fuel regulated by a drip-feed. This enabled a wide variety of fuels to be used. These first cars also mounted their engines at the rear on a triangular tubular chassis, with chain drive.

Brillié left the company at the end of 1903, at which point it is said that the design was changed to a more conventional pressed-steel ladder-frame chassis, front engine (still with opposed pistons) and carburettor. Our Snapshot, however, clearly shows a tubular frame on this racing machine.

Around 1906-1908, road-going Gobron-Brilliés ranged in size between a 4-cylinder 24/35hp and a 6-cylinder 60/75hp of 11.4 litres. After World War I the Brillié name was dropped, and by 1922 engines had become conventional 1.5-litre units supplied by Chapuis-Dornier. The company steadily declined, and declared bankruptcy in 1930.

Source: https://www.thesahb.com/snapshot-373-1904-gobron-brillie/

The Napier set speed record for Automobiles at 104.65 mph (168.41 km/h)

Specifications:

Manufacturer	Napier
Model	L48 Racing
Year of production	1905
Body type	roadster
Number of doors	0
Number of seats	2
Engine position	front
Drive wheel	rear
Fuel	petrol
Number of cylinders	inline 6
Cooling	liquid
Capacity	15130 ccm, 918.9 cu-in
Bore	159.0 mm, 6.26 in
Stroke	127.0 mm, 5 in
Aspiration	normal
Max power [kW / PS / hp]	66 / 90 / 89
Gearbox	M2
Weight	980 kg, 2161 lb
Maximum speed	169 km/h, 105 mph

Source: https://auta5p.eu/lang/en/katalog/auto.php?idf=Napier-L48-Racing-10343

 

In the early 20th century, the annual auto races at Ormond and Daytona Beaches drew the finest and most daring drivers of the era. These pioneers pushed the limits of speed and engineering. In 1905, British company Napier, intrigued by the potential of these competitions, sent their groundbreaking six-cylinder race engine to Florida. Arthur Macdonald, a British mechanic, made history on January 25, 1905, by achieving a world record speed of 104.651 mph.

Source: https://worldart.news/2024/02/07/napier-samson-l48-the-first-car-to-break-100mph-in-america/

The Blériot XI set speed record for Airplanes at 47 mph (75.63 km/h)

Specifications:

Crew	one
Wingspan	28.6 ft (8.7 m)
Wing area	187 sq ft (17.4 m2)
Empty weight	654 lb (297 kg)
Gross weight	1,014 lb (460 kg)
Fuel capacity	14 U.S. gallons (53 L; 12 imp gal)
Powerplant	1 × Rotec R2800 seven cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke radial engine, 110 hp (82 kW)
Propellers	2-bladed wooden
Cruise speed	50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
Stall speed	32 mph (51 km/h, 28 kn)
Range	100 mi (160 km, 87 nmi)
Rate of climb	900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Wing loading	5.4 lb/sq ft (26 kg/m2)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airdrome_Bleriot_Model_XI

 

25 July 1909: At 4:41 a.m., Louis Charles Joseph Blériot took of from the hamlet of les Baraques,¹ near Sangatte, Pas-de-Calais, France, in his own Type XI single-engine monoplane, and flew across the English Channel (la Manche) to Dover. He landed at Northfall Meadow, near Dover Castle, Kent, England.

The airplane did not have a compass, so for a visual reference. Blériot used a 26-knot Pertuisane-class torpedo boat destroyer, Escopette, which was sailing toward Dover.  After passing the ship, visibility deteriorated and he was only able to see the water below him.

Blériot flew on and after about ten minutes was able to see the coastline ahead. He realized that the wind had blown him to the east of his intended course, so he flew along the shoreline until he recognized a signal marking the landing point. The wind was gusty near the cliffs and he landed harder than intended, slightly damaging his airplane.

This was the first time an airplane had been flown across the English Channel, and brought Blériot international acclaim. He was appointed Chevalier de la légion d’honneur, by France. A London newspaper, the Daily Mail, awarded him a £1,000 prize.

Very quickly, orders for his Type XI were coming in. Between 1909 and 1914, approximately 900 were sold.

Louis Bleriot’s Channel-crossing Type XI monoplane was donated to the Musée des arts et métiers in Paris by the newspaper Le Matin, in October 1909. It remains in the museum’s permanent collection.

The Blériot XI was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was 26.24 feet (7.998 meters) long with a wingspan of 25.35 feet (7.727 meters) and height to the top of the cabane strut of 8.0 feet (2.438 meters). It had an empty weight of 507 pounds (229.9 kilograms). (Sources give conflicting specifications for the Blériot XI, probably because they were often changed in an effort to improve the airplane. The model flown across the English Channel was described by Flight as the Blériot Short-Span Monoplane. Dimensions given here are from the three-view drawings, below.)

In its original configuration, the Type XI was powered by an air-cooled, 3.774 liter (230.273 cubic inches) Robert Esnault-Pelterie (R.E.P.) two-row, seven-cylinder fan engine (or “semi-radial”), which produced 30 horsepower at 1,500 r.p.m.,  and drove a four-bladed paddle-type propeller. The R.E.P. engine weighed 54 kilograms (119 pounds). This engine was unreliable and was soon replaced by an Alessandro Anzani & Co. W-3.

The Anzani W-3 was an air-cooled, naturally-aspirated, 3.377 liter (206.078 cubic inch) 60° (some sources state 55°) three-cylinder “fan”-type radial engine (or W-3). It was a direct-drive, right-hand-tractor engine which produced 25 horsepower at 1,600 r.p.m. The W-3 was 0.300 meters (11.811 inches) long, 0.386 meters (15.197 inches) high, and 0.694 meters (2 feet, 3.323 inches) wide. The engine weighed 65 kilograms (143 pounds). The engine turned a highly-efficient Hélice Intégrale Chauvière two-bladed, fixed-pitch, propeller which had a diameter of 6 feet, 8 inches (2.032 meters). The Anzani W-3 cost 3,000 French francs in 1909.

The Blériot XI had a maximum speed of 47 miles per hour (76 kilometers per hour) and the service ceiling was approximately 1,000 meters (3,281 feet).

Source: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/25-july-1909/)

The Stanley Steamer Rocket set speed record for Automobiles at 127.7 mph (205.51 km/h)

Specifications:

Manufacturer	Stanley
Model	Rocket Steamer Racing Car
Year of production	1906
Body type	monopost
Number of doors	0
Number of seats	1
Engine position	mid
Drive wheel	rear
Number of cylinders	steam
Capacity	3015 ccm, 183.1 cu-in
Max power [kW / PS / hp]	88 / 120 / 118 at 800 rpm
Gearbox	M1
Wheelbase	2540 mm, 100 in
Length	4880 mm, 192.1 in
Width	915 mm, 36 in
Weight	760 kg, 1676 lb
Maximum speed	205 km/h, 127 mph

Source: https://auta5p.eu/lang/en/katalog/auto.php?idf=Stanley-Rocket-Steamer-Racing-Car-14790

 

In the days when the old Stanley Steamer was in its glory, there was a legend that its manufacturers had a standing offer of $1,000 to be paid to any driver who could run the car wide open. No one ever tried to collect the money, but the man who came nearest to getting the most out of the car was Fred H. Marriott, who on January 26, 1906 raced his canoe-shaped Stanley Steamer Rocket up to 127.7 mph at Daytona Beach, Fla. for the world’s fastest mile. A year later Marriott was doing over 190 mph when his light, flat-bottomed Rocket hit a rough spot. The car took to the air like a kite and turned over, but Marriott miraculously lived to drive again. Because the run ended in a crash, the time was never made an official world’s record, but Marriott was hailed throughout the country as the first to drive a car more than three miles a minute and live.

The Rocket looked like an upside-down canoe with four bicycle wheels, and it wasn’t far from that. The body was built of wood and canvas by the Roberts Canoe Factory at Riverside, Mass. The Rocket weighed about 1,200 pounds including a two-cylinder engine and a steam boiler no bigger than the tub in a washing machine.

Although its flat bottom was aerodynamically wrong for high speeds, the Stanley Rocket had lines that were advanced for its day. The driver sat low in the car for protection and greater speed, and driver and car appeared to be one unit.

Source: https://vault.si.com/vault/1956/03/26/the-car-that-flewJ

The Albatros D.III set speed record for Airplanes at 109 mph (175.41 km/h)

Specifications:

Wingspan	9 m / 29 ft 6 in
Length	7.33 m / 24 ft 1 in
Height	2.9 m / 9 ft 6 in
Wing Area	23.6 m² / 254 ft²
Engine	1 water cooled inline Mercedes D.IIIa engine
Maximum Take-Off Weight	886 kg / 1,949 lb
Empty Weight	659 kg / 1,532 lb
Maximum Speed	175 km/h / 109 mph
Range	480 km / 300 mi
Maximum Service Ceiling	5,500 m / 18,000 ft
Crew	1 (pilot)
Armament	2 x 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 machine guns

Source: https://plane-encyclopedia.com/ww1/albatros-d-iii/#google_vignette

 

The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War I.

Many famous aces(five victories in the air) flew it including Wilhelm Frankl, Erich Löwenhardt, Manfred von Richthofen, Karl Emil Schäfer, Ernst Udet, and Kurt Wolff. It was powered by a Mercedes D.III air-cooled inline engine that made 170 horsepower. This would pull the bi plane through the air at 109 mph. It was armed with 2x 7.92mm machine guns firing over the nose.

It had a range of 300 miles, and a ceiling of 18,000 feet.

Overall, it’s one of the Great War’s best fighters, and one of the most visually appealing too.

Source: https://community.infiniteflight.com/t/albatross-d-iii-aircraft-of-the-week/103342