In the book entitled “I Didn’t Know That Some Trains Run on Water (I Didn’t Know That)” by Kate Petty it talks about an electric train in 1896 that ran in water. My daughter has read the book (which is available on Amazon.com) and asked me if I ever read about the electric “Daddy Longlegs” train that ran on stilts on underwater rails in 1896. We would like to know more about this train (and pictures maybe), but haven’t had any luck. Do you know anything about this train?
I did a web search and after going through 10 pages of spiders gave up. I did see the book on the book store list but it didn’t give any clues about the water train. But you will have some people “looking” now. lol [}:)] [;)] [:D]
This was built as a tourist attraction at an English seaside resort, I think Brighton. I have a vague recollection that it was built by Magnus Volk, who also started a conventional electric line along the shore about the same time. The car consisted of a platform (with an enclosed cabin) on a steel pier which was mounted on four wheels which ran on a broad gauge track. I think it collected power from an overhead line, but the electric motors driving the wheels were mounted on the passenger platform and drove through long shafts and bevel gears (hopefully enclosed in watertight gearboxes). I think it ran from one of the piers, then used for entertainment as much as catching boats, possibly to another pier. I think that at low tide, the rails were exposed, which allowed a certain amount of inspection and maintenance.
I don’t think it lasted a long time, and I think services were stopped during rough seas for safety reasons. It was probably built, in the spirit of the time, to show that it could be done.
That must have been something to see. Yes, the 1890’s was a time when people’s main philosophy was, “Never mind whether it has any reason to be done, all that matters is that it CAN be done.”