Chapter 3

As a second year Collegian I had the option of living away from the College although it was considered more risky of missing classes. Usually only those able to afford a carriage house as well as house and grounds, and fairly near as well were able to successfully live away. I could afford to, so I did. I managed to secure a cook and maid who were discrete to the point of invisibility, which well pleased me. They soon learned that the less obtrusive they were, the higher their bonus.

The carriage house had quarters above, which Carlton promptly claimed, while I took over the four bay equipage arena turning it into a fully equipped workshop and forge, keeping only three horses and a cabriolet.

briolet.

These new engines, using the explosive properties of distilled rock oil instead of steam for propulsion were very exciting to me. I scoffed at the early efforts, they were so ungainly it was a wonder they could propel even their own weight, let alone carry a driver. I could tell just by looking that they would tear themselves to piece

shortly.

I studied the art, and used novel materials. Just because it was commonly called a horseless buggy doesn’t mean it needs wooden wheels like a wagon. The trick was to find the balance between strength and weight, instead of just building the strength to carry the weight.

I found that steel was stronger by weight than iron, and made good springs where needed as well, improving the handling of the power that developed. My geometric eye could see just how to shape the beams of the frame to realize the greatest strength with- well at least with less material.

It was the Swiss and German steel which had special properties due to rare earths that they introduced to the alloy. Some were very long wearing, and some were proof against heat which would de-nature other metals.

Of course I over engineered, every one did, Edison’s first bulb is still lit. However, in one of the first Bi-coastal cross country races my hand built machine was in the running. I only ran that one time, the field was too crowded thenceforth.

I built a new machine every year, refining and incorporating the ideas of others and financing it all by the selling of the previous version. I had a constant crowd hanging about my workshop, stealing the ideas I had stolen in my turn, but they lent their hands as needed, so I didn’t bother to chase them off.

While constructing the wooden body about the spring steel frame, I marveled about how boat-like the process was, and I bent my efforts toward making the cabin water tight and buoyant, with an eye toward keeping the engine safe from immersion. My conveyance would ford lakes and streams, and keep advancing. I added other rough roadway assists, like an automatic windlass system, built in jack-falls, spare pneumatics, and extra tanks of distilled rock oil.

To keep from having to transport as much lubricants, I devised a enclosed recirculating and filtering automatic lubricator, which only required topping up weekly. In response to quite justified complaints from my neighbors, I attached a noise baffle to the out-gas vent, which changed the roar to a purr.

True, it was rather barge-like in dimensions, and I don’t deny the epithet of ‘Road Hog’ but I had to sell the thing after all, to finance next year’s model! Not true, but it was a point of pride to have my hobby be self-supporting, especially since I couldn’t contract for another few years. As I said, we all over engineered.

My next one was a miniature, a proof of concept I built for my own use, the engine a perfect balance for the size with plenty of power for the reduced weight, (of which included the lesser weight of the smaller engine!) and lessened fuel requirements.

Much more practical on the farm cart roads which interconnected most of the country, I also noticed it was much less likely to get bogged down in soft spots than the larger motorizeds. Half of them were built with harness attachment points! Horseless what?!

I sold the horses and the cabriolet, keeping only my miniature for the daily journey. I tinkered with it constantly, and it never failed me entirely, although it did run roughly a time or two.

This balance point, of the efficient one person motorized resonated within the builders and tinkerers community for decades to come, leading to motor carts as well as getting even more refined into motorized bicycles as well.