Detroit
Detroit & River St.
Clair Railway
This was a car built by
Kinetic Power Co., of New York. It was a cross between steam and compressed
air. In place of a steam boiler was a "receiver" charged with superheated
water, heavily jacketed to prevent radiation. Steam was generated
as needed from this heated water and, passing through the driving cylinders,
worked like a regular locomotive. The car was charged periodically from
a stationary boiler, presumably somewhat like the "fireless cooker" type
of industrial locomotives.
This particular unit, with
a Jackson & Sharp body, was one of three ordered by the Detroit &
River St. Clair for their interurban line between Chesterfield and Marine
City, Michigan. The first unit was delivered in 1898, a week or so
before the line opened, and was a quick and impressive failure, and the
option for an additional six units was never exercized. Don't know
what happened to #5, but the line had a Baldwin steam dummy with the same
number, so I would guess the Kinetic Motor cars suffered an early and ignominious
retirement.
Caption data from James
H. Graebner
Bill Volkmer collection
Back to
Michigan Page
State-by-state
listings
Back
to Main Page