Alternate History Engineering

[Zor]

I was just wondering, using 19th Century technology and equipment, would it be posible to make practical Steam Powered cars/military Vehicles?

Zor

[Forum Lurker]

It would be possible to make steam-powered land vehicles, but they would be more akin to self-propelled artillery than true armored fighting vehicles. They would also have rather poor handling in rough terrain.

[wkwillis]

In 1900, they had practical steam cars. Good ones, too. In 1800 the steam engines were barely capable of trundling across the landscape at two miles per hour, on the flat, with the wind behind them.
1850 is about the beginning of practical land vehicles capable of running a bus or a truck on a graveled road at faster than walking speed. Say, five miles an hour for 16 hours.

[DMA]

Originally Posted by wkwillis

In 1900, they had practical steam cars. Good ones, too. In 1800 the steam engines were barely capable of trundling across the landscape at two miles per hour, on the flat, with the wind behind them.
1850 is about the beginning of practical land vehicles capable of running a bus or a truck on a graveled road at faster than walking speed. Say, five miles an hour for 16 hours.

1850 you say? That makes for an interesting WI for the ACW! Say the Union in mid 1862, frustrated by Lee's continuing dominance in North Virginia, take up a crazy idea where a steam engined tractor (they existed OTL) was surrounded in armour (say 1/2 inch thick) & given a small crew (other than the driver/engineers etc) of say 5 who fired repeating carbines/rifles (Sharps) through rifle slots?

Then, when 30 of these beasts are built (& are proven to work), the Union attacks at Fredericksburg in 1863. After the town is cleared, & they ready to advance at the Reb line (obviously Union engineers advanced to fill in part of the canal etc), these steam powered beasts then advance from the town, with the infantry following in support (in a manor akin to WW1), straight at the infamous stone wall.

What happens?

[wkwillis]

DMA
They get knocked out immediately by muzzle loading cannon firing roundshot. The iron plates surounding the wooden framework are physically dislodged from the bolts and sent spinning across the fields. The wheels are smashed in. A complete fiasco.
But the giant, steam powered flamethrowers with the two hundred yard range...That puts the fear of god into the Confederate troops. An entire division simply leaves the field of battle. If the Union self propelled armor hadn't broken down within two miles of the line of attack, the Confederates might have lost the war right then.

[Forum Lurker]

At that point of tech development, no steamcar with enough armor to stop a direct cannon hit would be able to move. If, however, you give a light howitzer just enough armor to stop rifle bullets and shrapnel, you've got a weapon which is genuinely useful. Flamethrowers, I'm guessing, require a greater degree of precision engineering to avoid very nasty backfires.

[Othniel]

Originally Posted by wkwillis

DMA
They get knocked out immediately by muzzle loading cannon firing roundshot. The iron plates surounding the wooden framework are physically dislodged from the bolts and sent spinning across the fields. The wheels are smashed in. A complete fiasco.
But the giant, steam powered flamethrowers with the two hundred yard range...That puts the fear of god into the Confederate troops. An entire division simply leaves the field of battle. If the Union self propelled armor hadn't broken down within two miles of the line of attack, the Confederates might have lost the war right then.

Um, gaint steam ran tractors would also strike fear into their hearts. They'd be more intimadating than anything else.

[DMA]

Originally Posted by wkwillis

DMA
They get knocked out immediately by muzzle loading cannon firing roundshot.

This is Reb artillery that we're talking about right? The same artillery that was notoriously inaccurate. And this besides the fact that tanks, even today, are not impervious to artillery.

Originally Posted by wkwillis

The iron plates surounding the wooden framework are physically dislodged from the bolts and sent spinning across the fields.

Who ever said they were iron. Considering there's plenty of steel around, I would have thought the armour was steel. And I don't recall the bolts & armour dislodging & flying around when the Monitor & Merrimack was battling it out.

Originally Posted by wkwillis

The wheels are smashed in.

This could happen with a direct hit. Then again a direct hit on the tracks on an Abram M1 would ensure it's pretty screwed too.

Originally Posted by wkwillis

A complete fiasco.

Well, even with all the hassles the first British tank attack had, the fiasco was caused by the infantry not being supported. The tanks, needless to say, passed their first test albeit unsuccessfully. Otherwise I guess we'd still have real cavalry regiments attacking instead of tank ones.

Originally Posted by wkwillis

But the giant, steam powered flamethrowers with the two hundred yard range...That puts the fear of god into the Confederate troops. An entire division simply leaves the field of battle. If the Union self propelled armor hadn't broken down within two miles of the line of attack, the Confederates might have lost the war right then.

Flamethrowers?