red750 Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Maybe not electric, but self-drive. Domino's is delivering pizza in the US in self-drive cars. Pizza in the back, car turns up, punch in the code given when ordering, and the door opens for you to grab your pizza. Yes, you have to walk to the kerb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Ahh Ha . the Domino effect. Happens all the time. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 How long was it to get a steam engine car going? I think a steam loco required a few hours, which would be unacceptable for a car I reckon. Well at least you could run your steam car on wood from the farm. Did they use wood or coal or oil? Sorry but I've never seen a steam car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 You could make a steam-powered car with a very small nuclear reactor. It'd be the ultimate "hot rod"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 I have a friend with one that uses petrol for a very exotic surface boiler which I call the "nuclear reactor". It probably gets about a mile to the gallon. No gearbox and easily 120 MPH. Steam cars are like that. Oh your next question About 3 tonnes. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Bruce, checkout, Jay Leno's garage. Lots of interesting car's including a steamer. The Doble was and is the ultimate collectors car, & is better than a RR. [ATTACH]49598._xfImport[/ATTACH] spacesailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Nev, my current model Nissan Navara ute weighs 2.5 tons (unloaded). Our IC vehicles are getting nearly as heavy as a Stanley steamer! As for start up time, I recall my father telling the story that he saw a neighbour who had a Stanley, to joke - he started up the Stanley, (don't ask, I don't know what that entails), walked away up the road, turned back and whistled up the car and it would quietly 'drive' itself up to him. I guess that it didn't take more than a couple of minutes to get up a head of steam. Perhaps new boiler technology combined with modern automation could make start up even quicker. Such as steam/ electric hybrid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 I've seen a few old boilers that can get up a head of steam in no time If you aren't careful what you say.. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 [ATTACH]49600._xfImport[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Except they are NOT electric. I think they are made by Wall in the USA and are petrol powered. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 There will be a bottle of red prize for the first steam-powered Jabiru. I'll donate the prize myself and help drink it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 F,H You're right.[ATTACH]49602._xfImport[/ATTACH] The old batteries were Glass cased if I remember correctly, spacesailor [ATTACH]49601._xfImport[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Steam can use many different fuels, the motor Can be made light. just need a different medium to our heavy water. maybe liquid nitrogen. spacesailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 The old Ghan , when it was steam, sure used a lot of water. It seemed to stop at every siding to fill up. Took 3 days and 2 nights to get to Alice Springs. Gosh, it was wonderful. 3 ft 6" gauge, moved with a slow swaying motion. Meals were silver-service. The dunny went straight out onto the track, and there was a notice saying not to use it whilst in a station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 That was the "normal" train dunny. In the desert it would dry out quickly and not end up in the water supply.. Steam is very inefficient. You can have a closed system and condense the used steam but more weight involved. Saves onloading "good" water. Highly mineralized water wrecks boilers.. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Yes Steam trains were slow by today's standard. Have you ever stood on a station and watched a high-speed express go past. No quicker for the commuter! Waiting for the slower train to take them home. spacesailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 The 38 class Flyer between Newcastle and Sydney was faster than today's service, 70 years ago. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willedoo Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 The dunny went straight out onto the track, and there was a notice saying not to use it whilst in a station. Many years ago, I was on a third class train in Java that had just a round hole in the floor in the toilet cubicle. When I went for a leak, I opened the door and the whole toilet floor space was covered with urine soaked chooks with their legs tied together. As a bloke, it wasn't too hard; you just had to nudge a few chooks away from the hole with your foot and complete the mission from a safe altitude. I felt sorry for the women on the train though. That couldn't have been good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 THAT'LE teach those fine feathered chicks to keep their heads down. spacesailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Koreelah Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 The 38 class Flyer between Newcastle and Sydney was faster than today's service, 70 years ago. Nev 70 years ago the mail got to my home town more often and much faster- most of the way via steam train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Reminder- Thread title- Electric Cars! We have drifted a long way onto good old C38 Steam engines of the past? I suppose we are presently using Steam to power electric cars, so there is a connection. And since we're here, is there some media other than water, that would improve the 'steam' process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Nomad, common sense is on your side, but common sense is wrong here. The efficiency of a steam engine depends on the difference between inlet and outlet temperatures of the "working fluid". The way to get higher efficiency is to increase this difference, which is why diesels have better efficiency than petrol engines. So while you could use say ether as the working fluid and a solar hot water panel as a boiler, the efficiency would be very low. Bugger, huh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmick Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Traveled ‘Upper Class’ in Myanmar this year for ANZAC day. 9hrs south from Yangon to Mawlamyine and the car to Thanbyuzat to Commonwealth War Graves western end of Thai-Burma Railway. The amenities in the Train were clean. Typical squatter but due to the very bumpy ride has a stainless bronco handle at the front to keep deposits in their place. [ATTACH]49625._xfImport[/ATTACH] The food service was good although I drew the line at dried crickets and dried fish. [ATTACH]49626._xfImport[/ATTACH] Next year Sandakan Borneo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomadpete Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Shame about that, Bruce. I always liked Steam. (I like electric too) because it gets away from the noise of constant explosions and vibration of the infernal combustion engine. But that's an emotional response. I'd really like to see a logical, efficient method of propolsion. So far, there doesn't seem to be any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 The Persian flying carpet springs to mind, or the way your soul goes to heaven. Electric ,powered from solar is the MAGIC way to go. The sun's up there just waiting to help for free, and no one can make a monopoly of it. That's why they resist it's widespread use and we give COAL generated electricity to Aluminium smelters at prices kept secret. We could build many magic solar powered oasis's in the centre instead of sending people on a one way trip to Mars where you have no way of replacing a part for something you didn't anticipate would break. and bring with you at quadzillion bucks / Kg.. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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