Steam & Excursion > Holman's Absurdity

All,

I picked up these two images recently as they feature a very bizarre locomotive that doesn't seem to be very well documented. This "Americanstrosity" was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and ended up operating for awhile on the South Jersey Railroad. Whole friction drive concept ended up being a scam.

"The Holman Locomotive Speeding Truck Company was a scam in the 1890's where the company made false claims of a locomotive with increased speed by using a special design of its wheels as shown below:

History from Curiosities of Locomotive Design. Development of the Locomotive Engine, by Angus Sinclair. Railway and Locomotive Engineering—September-December, 1907

Holman's Absurdity. It might have been supposed that the Fontaine experiment would have deterred others from trying such an expensive experiment again; but when an amateur gets seized with the malady for designing a locomotive of an entirely new pattern, he generally produces something startling.

In 1887 The Holman Locomotive Company had built in Philadelphia a locomotive. It was immediately assailed by practical railroad men and others for my opinion of this, the latest monstrosity. I had not seen even a picture of the engine, but descriptions were freely written. My opinion, expressed in LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERING, was: "It is a humbug. It is sound engineering to hold that every piece added to a machine, after it has reached the practical stage, is a source of weakness. A triple set of wheels under a locomotive would be proposed only by one who is densely ignorant of mechanics."

Next notice in the same paper reads: "There appears to have been some method in the madness of the parties who got out the absurd Holman locomotive.

"They are advertising in Philadelphia papers that a company has been formed to sell this kind of locomotive, the capital stock being $10,000,000. They offer to sell the stock for $25 a share, the par value being $100. They make the claim that this sort of engine is destined to be the locomotive of the future."

Next notice, also in the same paper, reads: "The parties exploiting the Holman locomotive are advertising their stock in numerous newspapers, and claiming that the invention is certain to come rapidly into general use. The effect of that has been that numerous letters have come to us asking our opinion of the thing. We gave a general answer, the first paragraph of which reads: "When we first heard of the Holman locomotive we supposed that it was the invention of some harmless crank who did not understand the elementary principles of mechanics, but we now believe that it has been, since its inception, an ostentatious machine designed to allure unwary capitalists into an investment which will be of the same real value as throwing gold coin over Niagara Falls."'

The engine was run a few trips on a straight railroad in New Jersey, which was used merely as a stimulant to stock selling. Unfortunately many people with limited savings were allured, into investing their hard earned money in this swindle, and they might as well have given it to a highway robber.

One painful case that was pushed to my attention will illustrate the danger of taking stock in things recommended by friends. Mrs. Marion French had sufficient money in United States bonds to produce her an income of $570 a year. Some idiotic friend advised her to invest in the Holman Locomotive Company's Stock, assuring her that she would more than double her income without risk. Our washerwoman never loses a chance to ask me when the Holman Locomotive Company will begin paying dividends."

Anyway, it would have been very interesting to see this thing under steam.

Enjoy, Taylor 

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An early Rube Goldberg device!!

-Fred-

> It may be hard to believe but there were two locomotives equipped with the Holman speeding truck. The first, likely this fine photo was #1 built in 1884 and may have been tested or used on the Soo Line.  Word was a Holman engine sat in storage in the P&R Chestnut Ridge round house at one point.  Later the Holman company convinced the South Jersey RR run by Charles Beach to use the engine for several months.
In July 1897 Baldwin built a second 4-12-0 Construction Number 15379 painted South Jersey RR #10 but was not owned, and the railroad only permitted it use without their payments.  It was used for at least 3 month in the summer from Winslow Jct to Cape May.  They claimed it used less coal as the piston traveled less per the speed of the train.  The connecting Atlantic City Railroad refused to let it on their line, but it must have moved over the ACRR from Camden to get to Winslow Jct.  It was sold and rebuilt by the Kansas City & Northern Connecting RR.
One of these engines met its end when the gearing wheel derailed out from under the engine at Cape May Count House at speed.  That date has not been located but with the newspaper now being put into the internet, it might someday come to light.

The known history of these engines is part of the story of The Atlantic City Railroad- the Royal Route to the Sea by W. George Cook and W. J. Coxey, West Jersey Chapter of the NRHS 1980.  Find on ABEBooks.com   Baldwin Builder photos, and Cape May station photos show the arrival of a train.  There are several letter by Charles Beach in the P&R records regarding the use of these engines.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/16 20:27 by PlyWoody.

Assuming they didn't move the firebox door, how did they fire it? It looks like the door would have been about the same height as the fireman's shoulders.

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This is what happens when you go to lunch with the bearing salesman!

Out

Just buy it!
Just buy the public stock!

Don't ask impertinent questions!

( Licensed sales agents: TRUMP Ry. Supply, 515 5th Av., NY, 3, NY )


Wes C.