Introduction of steam omnibuses--The “Autopsy,” the “Era,” and the
“Automaton”--Steam omnibuses a failure.
Some years before Shillibeer introduced omnibuses into England, a
number of experienced engineers had devoted themselves to the invention
of steam carriages, and so satisfied were they with their achievements
that they felt justified in predicting that horse-drawn vehicles
were doomed. Once more, however, we see the truth of the saying that
threatened institutions live long for the elimination of the horse is
still an event of the distant future. Sir Charles Dance, Dr. Church,
Colonel Maceroni, Messrs. Frazer, Goldsworthy Gurney, Hancock, Heaton,
Maudsley, Ogle, Redmond, John Scott Russell, Squire, and Summers were
the leading men interested in the building of steam carriages, but few
of them produced vehicles which are deserving of being remembered.
Mr. (afterwards Sir) Goldsworthy Gurney was the first to invent a
steam carriage that ran with anything like success. His “Improved
Steam Carriage”--an ordinary barouche drawn by an engine instead of
horses--accomplished some very creditable journeys, including a run
from London to Bath and back at the rate of fifteen miles an hour.
[Illustration: GURNEY’S STEAM CARRIAGE.]
The first real steam omnibuses, the “Era” and “Autopsy,” were invented
by Walter Hancock, of Stratford, and placed on the London roads
in 1833. Hancock had invented steam carriages before Shillibeer’s
omnibuses were introduced, but the “Autopsy” and the “Era” were the
first which he constructed with the idea of entering into competition
with the popular horse-drawn vehicles. The “Era” was the better omnibus
of the two, and the most flattering things were said and predicted of
it. Enthusiasts declared that omnibuses of the “Era” type would enable
passengers to be carried at a cheaper rate and greater speed than by
Shillibeer’s vehicles.
[Illustration: THE “AUTOPSY” STEAM OMNIBUS.]
The “Era” ran from Paddington to the Bank, the same route as the
horse-drawn omnibuses, and carried fourteen passengers, the fare being
sixpence all the way. It travelled at the rate of ten miles an hour,
and consumed from 8 to 12 lbs. of coke, and 100 lbs. of water per
mile. But, in spite of what the enthusiasts of the day wrote, the
“Era” was by no means a success, for it broke down continually, and
frequently a considerable time elapsed before it could resume the
journey. Our grandfathers, who took life more leisurely than we, did
not appear to be greatly annoyed at these collapses. An hour’s delay in
reaching their destination was of little consequence to those who could
afford to live in the suburbs, and as the steam omnibuses--when they
did run--were guided easily and escaped collisions, they were perfectly
satisfied, assuring themselves that in a few years, at the most, some
means would be found for making the vehicles stop only when required.
Moreover, they were a novelty, and as such were patronised for a
time. Unfortunately for Hancock, the eccentricities of the “Autopsy”
and “Era” increased as the months went on, although the two vehicles
continued to run after all the steam omnibuses by other makers had been
taken off the roads. Nevertheless, Hancock was not dispirited, and in
July, 1835, started his last, and best, steam omnibus--the “Automaton.”
This was a larger vehicle than his previous ones, being built to carry
twenty-two passengers, and to travel at an average speed of thirteen
miles an hour. On its trial trip to Romford and back, it did not,
however, succeed in attaining a better average than eleven miles an
hour. Certainly faster travelling was not desirable in London streets,
but on one occasion the “Automaton” was driven at full speed along the
Bow Road, and covered a mile at the rate of twenty-one miles an hour.
And that record run was the more remarkable as, when it was made, the
omnibus carried twenty passengers.
[Illustration: THE “ERA” STEAM OMNIBUS.]
Mr. Hancock was delighted with the working of the “Automaton,” and,
on the strength of its performance, forgot all his previous failures
and wrote light-heartedly: “Years of practice have now put all doubts
of the economy, safety, and superiority of steam travelling on common
roads at rest, when compared with horse travelling; and I have now in
preparation calculations founded upon actual practice, which, when
published, will prove that steam locomotion on common roads is not
unworthy the attention of the capitalist, though the reverse has been
disseminated rather widely of late by parties who do not desire that
this branch of improvement should prosper against the interests of
themselves.”
The “parties” referred to were the London horse-drawn omnibus
proprietors, who, according to the steam omnibus owners, indulged in
various tricks for making their rivals’ vehicles come to grief. Their
chief offence was said to be covering the roads with loose stones
some inches deep, a proceeding well calculated to injure the steam
omnibuses. Unfortunately for the steam omnibus people’s story, there
is no explanation given of how it was that their rivals were permitted
to interfere with the public roads. But how the rumour arose is easily
explained. The inventors of steam carriages had proclaimed loudly that
their vehicles would not wear out the road as quickly as ordinary
carriages, for they had wide tyres and, of course, no horses’ hoofs.
But, before long, the local authorities came to the conclusion that
the reverse was the case--that the steam carriages damaged the roads
much more quickly than horse-drawn ones did--and grew anxious to put
a stop to the increase of such vehicles. Gloucester had shown them in
1831 how that could be done. A steam carriage ran between Gloucester
and Cheltenham twice a day for three months, but when the local
authorities discovered that it was cutting up the roads, they came to
the conclusion that strong measures would have to be adopted to put an
end to the nuisance. So they strewed with loose stones nearly two feet
deep the road which the horseless vehicle traversed, and in trying to
pass over this obstruction the steam carriage was disabled.
Other towns in England and Scotland hastened to follow the example
of Gloucester, and in a few months the number of steam carriages in
Great Britain was reduced considerably. Then Parliament passed a sheaf
of local Turnpike Bills, imposing exceedingly heavy tolls upon steam
carriages, with the result that soon all such vehicles had ceased to
run in the provinces.
But no such thing as strewing the roads with loose stones was ever
adopted in London, and Hancock’s omnibuses had as fair a trial as
any reasonable being could desire. The “Automaton,” the best steam
omnibus ever built, was, unmistakably a failure, although Hancock,
by publishing some statistics of its first five months at work, gave
people the impression that it was a great success. In the 712 journeys
which it made it carried 12,761 passengers--not a remarkable number,
considering that it ran under favourable circumstances. That is to
say, that when it was found that the interest in the “Automaton” was
waning on one route, it was put immediately to another. The majority
of journeys were from the City to Islington and back, but on some
days the omnibus ran to Paddington, and on others to Stratford. One
morning, on its way to the Bank, it came into collision with a waggon
at Aldgate, and Hancock, in his report of its performances, declared
that to be the only accident worth mentioning. Apparently occasional
break-downs did not count.
[Illustration: THE “AUTOMATON” STEAM OMNIBUS.]
But the public’s patronage of the “Automaton” grew less as time
went on. People soon found that riding in horse omnibuses was far
more enjoyable. Moreover, they discovered that they were much more
reliable, the falling of a horse and a minute or two’s delay caused
thereby, being the worst that ever happened to them. The “Automaton,”
however, could not even be relied upon to start when desired.
In spite of loss of patronage, the “Automaton” dragged on its existence
until 1840, when the Turnpike Acts were enforced in London, and gave
Hancock the opportunity of discontinuing his steam omnibus and posing
as an ill-used man.
And so came to an end the first attempt to run horseless omnibuses in
London.