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A velocipede is a simple 3 or 4 wheeled
rail vehicle which the rider propels along the track using his arms
and legs. It was invented by George Sheffield to get to work by
unofficially riding on the tracks of the Michigan Central Railway
in the hours of darkness. One evening he found a broken rail and
by borrowing a lantern from a local farm, he stopped an approaching
train and prevented a derailment and loss of life.
News of his nocturnal velocipeding was out but the railway company
was grateful for his prompt action and allowed his use of their
tracks, also asking him to build another velocipede for the Michigan
Central.
His patent was issued on 11 March 1879 and according to the Scientific
American of 3 November 1883, 4000 of these machines had been sold
in America and Europe in just 4 years, a world-wide hit.
They were used as personal transport for track inspectors and signal
engineers and could carry two people if needed. Their light weight
meant they could easily be removed from the track when required.
Although mainly used by US and Canadian railways, several were bought
by railways in Britain and it is examples of machines from the old
Great Western, LNE and Southern Railways that have been invited
to the 12 July rally. They are mainly products of the Sheffield
Car Company of Three Rivers, Michigan, but we also hope to see a
product of the rival BUDA company of Harvey, Illinois. One machine
definitely attending is a brand new Sheffield type built in Staffordshire.
The British company Wickham of Ware built at least three types of
velocipede, mainly for export, but none has surfaced yet.
Kevin Thomas
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Photo: Dave Gibson
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