The Steamobile was an American

steam car A steam car is a car (automobile) propelled by a steam engine. A steam engine is an external combustion engine (ECE), whereas the gasoline and diesel engines that eventually became standard are internal combustion engines (ICE). ECEs have a low ...

manufactured in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat and the only city in ...

, from 1900 until 1902, first by the Trinity Cycle Manufacturing Company and its successor, the Steamobile Company of America.

History

Reynold Janney factory superintendent of the Trinity Cycle Manufacturing Company developed a steam car that he marketed in the fall of 1900. The Keene Steamobile was powered by a

two-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

double-acting 7/9- hp engine, with a

water-tube boiler A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-generat ...

with 420 copper tubes and priced at $850, . Janney organized the Keene Automobile Company which was purchased in February 1901 by E. P. Wells and Winfield S. Rogers and the newly formed Steamobile Company of America. Reynold Janney departed and became superintendent of the Locomobile Works for two years. W. S. Rogers became the new factory superintendent and added a dos-a-dos model priced at $900. In 1901 Steamobile displayed at the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a world's fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park–Front Park System, Delaware Park, extending ...

, and added a new model called a Transit that had a

tonneau A tonneau ( or ) is an area of a car, truck, or boat open at the top. It can be for passengers or cargo. When applied to trucks it refers to their ''bed'' (American English) or ''tray'' (British English). Origin of term A tonneau was orig ...

body up front. Advertised as a railroad inspection car or package delivery it was available for $1,000, . F. Wilkinson & Co. of

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

became the sole agent for Steamobile in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

and displayed at the 1902

Royal Agricultural Hall The Business Design Centre is a Grade II listed building located between Upper Street and Liverpool Road in the district of Islington in London, England. It was opened in 1862, originally named the Agricultural Hall and from 1884 the Royal Ag ...

Motor Show. E. P. Wells and W. S. Rogers set-up a new company called the Roller Bearing and Equipment Company of America in the Steamobile factory. In June 1902 Standard Roller Bearing of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

purchased the Steamobile Company and the Roller Bearing company factory at Keene, which included 40 unsold Steamobiles. File:1901 Steamobile - Jan 1901 Horseless Age.jpg, 1901 Steamobile Stanhope in the Horseless Age File:1901 Steamobile - W. S. Rogers driving in Feb 1902 Automobile Topics.jpg, 1902 Steamobile - W. S. Rogers driving from Automobile Topics File:1901 Steamobile Transit - Automobile Topics.jpg, 1901 Steamobile Transit with front tonneau from Automobile Topics File:1901 Steamobile Transit Parcel - Automobile Topics.jpg, 1901 Steamobile Transit configured for parcels from Automobile Topics

References

External links

Steamobile Company of America at the VirtualSteamCarMuseum.com
Steam cars Veteran vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Hampshire Cars introduced in 1900 1900s cars Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1900 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1902 Companies based in Cheshire County, New Hampshire 1900 establishments in New Hampshire 1902 disestablishments in New Hampshire Cars discontinued in 1902 {{Commons category, Steamobile Company of America