The McGurk page

Jack — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:15:18 +0000

Because not everything thought of has to do with work it seemed best to put up something where those other thoughts might live. So while I may not be real this spot represents real thoughts vying for fresh air.

Steam ?

Jack — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:36:16 +0000

What about steam? I write with no authority as I am not an engineer or even a mechanic. As a boy I did ride in steam cars. Both antique cars and cars that had been assembled for the modern road. They are fast, quiet and reliable. The fact quoted to me and has stuck in my mind ever since is that the internal combustion engine was not intended for use at variable speeds and variable loads as we use them today. Thus the requirement of complicated transmissions. The steam engine delivers its power to the wheels with only a slight ratio in the differential. A modern steam engine could be constructed to run on a variety of fuels. Stories about the torque these engines deliver are amazing. Real stories from the 1920s when a driver would leave the throttle open just a crack and return hours latter to find the car had slowly climbed a set of stairs, a feat that would be impossible for a modern internal combustion engine as it would stall.