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) in which the fuel is combusted outside of the engine, unlike an internal combustion engine (ICE) in which fuel is combusted ins ...

manufactured in

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the County seat, seat of 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. Keene is ho ...

, 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 categorize ...

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 the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-gene ...

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 Locomobile may refer to: Transport * Locomobile Company of America, a US company that made automobiles under the brand name "Locomobile" from 1899 to 1929 * Steam-powered agricultural and haulage vehicles: ** Traction engine ** Portable engine * ...

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, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

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

tonneau A tonneau ( or ) is an area of a car or truck open at the top. It can be for passengers or cargo. A tonneau cover in current automotive terminology is a hard or soft cover that spans the back of a pickup truck to protect the load or to improve ...

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 in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

became the sole agent for Steamobile in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

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 Agric ...

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, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

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 {{Commons category, Steamobile Company of America