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Hey..take it seriously!!
The Stanley brothers produced a racer in 1907 "The Woggle Bug" that hit 150 mph. Very efficient, but range was a problem since the steam/water was not condensed and reused. 50 miles was the distance between refills on their production model. It wasn't a problem with all the horse troughs along the highways and byways until the hoof and mouth epidemic came along and the troughs were largely eliminated as a method of disease control. When this happened, many historians conclude, the days of the steamer were limited.
One wonders where the technology would have led given enough interest. True enough the internal combustion engine hasn't changed a whole lot in over a century. I am holding out for a system similar to locomotives (diesel/electric) which replaced steam. The single most troubling problem with steam is bursting of the pressure vessel. This was not an uncommon occurance in early steam engines if the water level fell below critical and the steel plates were allowed to overheat.
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Bob S. former owner of a 1984 silver 944
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