The Trevithick Engine " Building the Replica"
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out with a temporary chimney and secured to a trailer the
2001 replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 first road carriage
made its first journey from the Holman's factory - courtesy
of CompAir UK - to the centre of Camborne for Trevithick Day
on April 29. A promise last year to the chairman of the Camborne Chamber of Commerce that the people of Camborne would be first to see the replica was fulfilled. A tremendous amount of dedicated work by the project team and the enthusiastic donations of skill and materials have brought about this exciting event. When Trevithick first started developing the use of high pressure steam against the advice of heroes of the age like James Watt, he provided the world with compact, self-contained engines, running a locomotive on rails 25 years before Stephenson's Rocket. And in April the Trevithick Society's project to build a working replica of the world's first motor car came to fruition - with just hours to spare! Surrounded by people all day the replica was filled with water, the fire was lit for the first time and steam was raised to the cheers of the crowd. The spirit and aspirations of Richard Trevithick were alive again in Camborne! The fire was lit with due ceremony by Jon Eastman of Pool School on his sixteenth birthday. This alignment of dates has given Jon a connection with Camborne and the 'world's first motor car' throughout his life. |
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Recent work on the replica has included the completion of the boiler, the oak chassis and the exciting fitting of the hot tyres to the oak wheels. All work, except that on the pressurised seams, has been done in the traditional manner to retain the authenticity of the replica. |
 Chris Tregenza of Troon assembles the oak chassis at David Ball Construction, Redruth. |
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Fixing the hot metal tyre to the wooden wheel, with wheelwright Robert Hurford beating it into place before it cools. |
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Article Courtesy of Cornish World Magazine |
 image courtesy of the Trevithick Society |
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