The first steam engine was invented by Dutch physicist Denny Papen in the 17th century. It was the simplest mechanism, a cylinder with a piston that rose under the action of steam, and descended under atmospheric pressure. Initially, the use of new steam engines was civil. Vacuum steam engines, built in 1705 by English inventors Thomas Newman and Thomas Seavery, were used to pump water out of the mines. Over time, steam engines have improved in different countries, which has contributed to the emergence of new options for their use.
For example, in 1769, the progenitor of all automobiles was designed by the French engineer and designer Nicolas Joseph Cugno. It was a steam car, which in those years was called the Kyunho steam cart. In fact, it was the prototype of all future cars and steam locomotives. The self-propelled vehicle quickly enough attracted the attention of the military from all over the world. Although for the first time massively in military affairs, steam engines began to be used not on land, but in the fleet, where the first warships appeared. Ground steam transport was also gradually improved. In particular, in the second half of the 19th century, several fairly successful models of steam tractors appeared at once, which were used in the armies of Great Britain and the Russian Empire.
Kyunho's self-propelled wagon
The invention of the steam engine was the first step towards the emergence of new technology, which then changed the whole world. First of all, we are talking about steam locomotives and steamers. At the same time, already in the 18th century, the first prototypes of future cars appeared, albeit with a steam engine. And even later, the first tractor with a steam engine will appear, which will also find application in civilian life and in military affairs. At the same time, the first who managed to create a self-propelled carriage will forever remain the French engineer Nicolas Joseph Cugno, who in 1769 designed and presented the first steam car.
The car was very imperfect and would only bring a smile today. The novelty had more of a cart than a modern car, but it was still a breakthrough. The first example of new technology went down in history as the "small cart of Cuyuno". And already in the next 1770 saw the light of the "big cart Cuyuno". At the same time, the engineer himself called his brainchild nothing more than "The Fiery Cart". The total length of the first steam engine was 7.25 meters, width - up to 2.3 meters, wheelbase - 3.08 meters.
The basis of Cuyunho's self-propelled carriage was a massive oak wooden frame on three wheels without springs. The front wheel was the guide. It was above it that a massive steam boiler was installed. The diameter of the boiler, according to some sources, reached one and a half meters. With a total weight of 2, 8 tons, the "big Kyunho cart" had a carrying capacity of about 5 tons, and the maximum speed was 3-4 km / h, that is, the steam engine was moving at the speed of an ordinary pedestrian.
The project was advanced for its time, but due to the low level of technology development in the second half of the 18th century, it had a lot of problems. For example, the steam pressure in the boiler was enough only for 12 minutes of movement, after which the steam boiler had to be filled with water again and a fire was kindled under it. In fact, Cuyunho created, as they would say now, a technology demonstrator. It was an experimental prototype that could not be used in real road conditions.
It is noteworthy that the first steam engine was already created by order of the military and for a very specific purpose, which would then become the main one for many steam tractors. In the new car, the French military already saw a steam tractor for transporting heavy artillery systems. Thus, Cuyunho's "fire cart" was originally intended for towing artillery pieces.
Boydel and Burell steam tractors
Almost 100 years passed from the idea of creating a steam artillery tractor to its implementation in practice. Although back in 1822, half a century after the appearance of the Cuiño project, David Gordon issued a patent for the invention of a steam tractor. The project proposed by Gordon was the first project of a wheeled steam tractor, but in practice it was not implemented, remaining forever on paper, as is often the case with many inventions. It is for this reason that the full debut of steam tractors in the army took place only in 1856 during the Crimean War.
During the war, the British army used Boydel's steam tractors in the Crimea. This development attracted the military by its high cross-country ability. To improve passability, the wheels of the tractor were equipped with special wide plates, which, due to their large surface area, reduced the pressure on the ground. At the same time, the British did not lose interest in such tractors even after the end of the conflict. Experiments with Boydel's tractors were continued and hit the pages of the press. It is known that Boydel's new steam tractors were tested even in Hyde Park and were public. At the same time, the British press of those years emphasized that the car is distinguished by good mobility, maneuverability, can accelerate to a speed of 4 miles per hour on a country road and carry a load weighing from 60 to 70 tons. The cargo was transported in five large carts specially built for testing.
According to the correspondent, the tractor could carry up to 160 soldiers with full equipment in makeshift wagons, accelerating over the grassy lawns of the park up to 6 miles per hour. The tests carried out satisfied the military, who believed that such a technique would be useful in India and other remote areas of the British Empire. The main purpose of steam tractors in the army was to transport guns and ammunition.
Already in 1871, another steam tractor was built in Great Britain. This time by Burell, who originally designed his car as a steam-powered tractor for an omnibus. Its main purpose was to be passenger transportation. Burella tractors were built in large enough quantities for their time and were actively sold for export. Some of the built samples ended up in the Russian Empire and Turkey. The tractor created by Burell was able to pull loads weighing up to 37 tons on a trailer with a dead weight of 10.5 tons. In urban conditions, such a tractor could accelerate to 8 miles per hour (almost 13 km / h). But even this was not a speed record. Created and tested in October 1871, the Ransoma tractor demonstrated a speed of 32 km / h for short distances, which was an excellent result for self-propelled transport vehicles of those years.
Steam tractor in the Russian army
For the first time steam tractors were used in the Russian army during the war against Turkey in 1877-1878. They were used for the transportation of guns, as well as the transportation of various military cargo, while the priority and the main one was precisely the transport task. The steam tractor proved to be a good substitute for horses and proved to be a more cost-effective means of transport. At the same time, all created steam tractors in military affairs were considered exclusively as vehicles. The military had no desire to use them in combat conditions, although the inventors proposed their projects for creating steam combat vehicles. Many of these projects were prototypes of future tanks, but they were not implemented in metal.
Returning to the Russian Imperial Army, it can be noted that steam tractors, mainly of British production, were used in the war with the Turks. Steam tractors, or, as they were also called, road locomotives, like many high-tech goods, were purchased in the UK. In the winter of 1876-1877, Russia purchased 10 tractors of various models, including six from Aveling & Porter, three from Clayton & Shuttleworth and one from Fowler.
All these tractors were united in the "Special Team of Road Steam Locomotives". In fact, it was the first motorized military transport unit in the history of our army. Throughout the entire military campaign, steam engines were used to supply the front with the necessary equipment for warfare, transporting a total of almost 9 thousand tons of various cargoes. After the war, the equipment was transferred to Turkestan, where the road locomotives served until 1881, when they were finally decommissioned after the resource was exhausted.
At the same time, steam tractors have never been widespread in the army. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were quickly replaced by new machines of a more efficient design, equipped with internal combustion engines, with which steam engines could not compete. Finally, this type of technology, which was nevertheless used in the national economy in many countries, finished off the low fuel prices that were established after the end of World War II.
