Waltham Steam

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The Waltham Steam was an American steam car.

Waltham Steam 6 hp (4.5 kW) spindle-seat runabout entrant, London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, 2010 Waltham 19XX 6HP Spindle-Seat Runabout on London to Brighton VCR 2010.jpg
Waltham Steam 6 hp (4.5 kW) spindle-seat runabout entrant, London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, 2010

George Tinker and John Piper

Engineers George M. Tinker and John W. Piper were employees of the Waltham Manufacturing Company, [1] at that time makers of Orient brand bicycles in Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1898, they were allowed by the company's owner, Charles Herman Metz, to build a light steam buggy at a corner of the plant. This vehicle was finished at the end of the year and named the Waltham Steam. It had a very light 50 lb (23 kg), 3 hp (2.2 kW) two cylinder, double acting steam engine. The copper-built condenser weighted in at 110 lb (50 kg), and the complete vehicle at only 600 lb (270 kg). It had wire wheels, and steering was provided by a vertically mounted lever. Tinker and Piper exhibited their steam buggy at the Boston Automobile Show in 1898. [2]

Contents

Two more steam cars followed under the label Tinker & Piper. Meantime, Metz had sold out his company to Charles A. Coffin and H.P. Clough but stayed in the position of a general manager. Coffin was an executive of the General Electric Company (GE). Seeking markets for GE products, he ordered a light electric car to be made by Tinker and Piper. They built it also at the Waltham Manufacturing plant. It had a wheelbase of 60 in (150 cm) and an electric motor by General Electric. It was presented as the Orient Electric at the New York Cycle & Automobile Show in 1899. Neither Tinker and Piper nor Metz were impressed, and there were no more electric vehicles to follow. [2]

Waltham Automobile Company

In 1899 [3] or early 1900, [2] [4] Tinker and Piper left the Waltham Manufacturing Company through consensual agreement with, and support from, Charles Metz, to start their own business. [2] Their Waltham Automobile Company was located at 130-136 Newton Street in Waltham [4] and started building small steam-powered stanhopes that sold for $750 [1] [2] [4] with a Victoria top. [4] Further, there might have been some steamers with Vis-à-vis coachwork. [4]

Production ended in 1902 [1] [2] or 1903. [4]

Of the unknown number of Waltham steam vehicles built, one Stanhope is still in existence. [4]

Waltham of Springfield, Massachusetts

An unrelated company in Springfield, Massachusetts also produced a steam powered automobile under the Waltham name in 1905. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark, Henry Austin Jr (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805–1942. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 1612. ISBN   978-0-87341-428-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark, Henry Austin Jr (1985). Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805–1942 . Iola, WI: Krause Publications. pp.  1463. ISBN   0-87341-111-0.
  3. 100 Years of the American Auto Millennium Edition, Copyright 1999 Publications International, Ltd.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Waltham Museum: The Waltham Steam Cars of Piper and Tinker

Sources