Bristol in the New Millennium

© David Hoey 2002

A view of the Greville Steam Carriage, which is arguably the world’s oldest working ‘motor car’! Built in 1831, this venerable machine was used around the streets of Glastonbury for many years, before it was inevitably superseded by the much faster conveyances of later times. This machine’s motive power is provided by steam, generated by the coal-fired boiler seen at the back of the vehicle, which then passes to an engine situated amidships of the vehicle, just behind the rear bench-seat. The carriage requires three men to operate it: a stoker to fuel the boiler; an engineer to regulate the prime mover; and a steersman to guide the vehicle on its travels. The steering is operated via a ‘tiller’ mounted on the middle of the footplate at the front, which connects to the single front wheel. Braking is provided by the lever, also on the front seat, with a mechanical linkage to the brake blocks on the rear wheels, one of which can be seen in this view. The wheels themselves are made from solid timber, consisting of several radial sectors, encased in a wooden rim, and held together by a steel hoop, as in a traditional cart wheel. The vehicle is capable of carrying eight persons, including the three ‘crew’ already mentioned. The carriage is housed in the Bristol Transport Museum at the Historic City Docks, and is occasionally taken out on various runs, as when this photograph was taken.