Another nice old pic....

Chuck Dempsey

Chuck Dempsey

Well-known member
Floating around on FB . . . . .
 

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Does the car swivel to reverse direction?


Looks like there is something between the wood frame of the rail car and the wood frame of the A, towards the middle of the car


Looks like both A rear wheels have chains going to the gears on the rail car wheels. Also the other wheel shown without chain also has a geared wheel.


Remove chains, swivel the car around, chains back on, go the other way.
 
30 Closed Cab PU said:
Does the car swivel to reverse direction?


Looks like there is something between the wood frame of the rail car and the wood frame of the A, towards the middle of the car


Looks like both A rear wheels have chains going to the gears on the rail car wheels. Also the other wheel shown without chain also has a geared wheel.


Remove chains, swivel the car around, chains back on, go the other way.
Click to expand...

I noticed that the pivot for changing direction is positioned so that the weight of the engine keeps tension on the chain.
 
You got 200 tons of steam engine barreling down on you. You drop the chains, spin her around and get the hell out of there
 
Reminiscent of a pix over at "Old Motor."

Opinions varied but this appears to be a "self powered" float to move this car (possibly a Chevrolet) using onboard power and direction. The "depressions" in the drive-on wheel channels suggest it - as well as the "propulsion wake."

Some have opined that the boat ahead is towing the float/car - but no tow-rope is evident.
Single-Car-Ferry-To-South-Padre-Island-1080x625.jpg


One comment at the site http://theoldmotor.com/?p=168804

The first photo may be Howard T Powers demonstrating his “Automobile Boat” near Corpus Christi, for which he and fellow Corpus Christ inventor Walter C Lewis received patent 1804262 on May 5, 1931. Apparently depression conditions sank any chance of commercial development for Powers.
Click to expand...
Joe K
 
Looks like the "Train Car" was a slow moving affair. The speed reduction in the chain drive looks like somewhere between 3:1 - 4:1 . However, anything over 25 mph looks like it might be a bad idea. No brakes either.
 
BN said:
Looks like the "Train Car" was a slow moving affair. The speed reduction in the chain drive looks like somewhere between 3:1 - 4:1 . However, anything over 25 mph looks like it might be a bad idea. No brakes either.
Click to expand...

I think the rear brakes on the car would slow the trolly.
 
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