Horse riding

Hello all! As you may have noticed, it's been a little quiet on the blog and Instagram for a bit. Not quite as bad as last time, but still. Anyway, long story short, I've had an extended bout of mononucleosis, or glandular fever as it is sometimes called. It's taken a while to work out what it is, which has made it a bit tricky to know what to do about it. However, it has given me an excuse to indulge my interest in herbal remedies for things, since there's nothing conventional that really helps with viruses. The upshot of which is that I've been drinking lots of elderberry teas, tinctures and syrups, as well as making a big jar of clove, cinnamon, lemon and rosemary syrup, which is supposed to boost the immune system.

Not sure if this helped much, but it soothes the throat and tastes excellent

Anyway, back to the main topic. Another highlight of the summer- a short horse trek around the Athabasca Trail! It was a bit tricky to take pictures while riding a horse, so I don't have many shots of the trail, but it was a lovely path that wound through the forest and along the ridgeline above the river, giving an absolutely gorgeous view. The horses were (mostly) rather well behaved, and the set-up meant that this is perfectly accessible even for someone who has never ridden before (or hasn't ridden for more than 10 years, such as myself).

By an interesting coincidence, my hat and coat were almost identical to the ones the staff wore.

And the very lovely Shadow wanted a picture too, of course.

Now, you might assume, as I did, that Great Uncle Jack would have primarily travelled by horse. And whilst it seems that this was true most of the time, it would appear that he did experiment with some alternative forms of transport.

Back in Jack's home county of Cornwall, Richard Trevithick had been producing steam carriages from 1801 to 1808, including the famous 'Puffing Devil' of Cambourne. Whether Uncle Jack was inspired by these and started building his own once he was in Canada, or bought one and modified it I don't know, but from scattered references through his notes, it would seem that he travelled for some time on or with a steam carriage called the 'Brazen Angel'. 

His descriptions of it are a bit patchy since it seems he only ever intended these notes for his own reference, and only really when he's making a modification or repair. It gets referenced fairly often, as either 'the Angel' or 'Brazen Angel'

It seems that the original design was something partway between the Puffing Devil and the London Steam Coach, but with an exterior coating of wood and copper, as featured on ironclad battleships of the time, presumably to help it cope with the Canadian climate with less maintenance.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Replica_of_trevithick%27s_%22Puffing_Devil%22_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1424283.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Trevithicks_Dampfwagen.jpg

Think of the general design of the steam carriage, but shrink the passenger compartment and make the boiler closer to the size of that on the Puffing Devil, and then have the whole thing tow a wagon of substantial size.

I've collected a few of the most descriptive examples- as you'd expect they mostly relate to modifications and repairs, but I think they give a fairly good impression of the overall construction of the thing. Well, except for the sections that probably involved a higher than usual dose of Piskie Blood, but it should be fairly clear which those are.

The copper cladding is behaving as expected. Greatly reduced issues with corrosion, and no further need for repainting. Very pleased with the decision to mount the firebox and boiler beneath the driver's carriage. Easy to refuel while driving, and keeps everything warm. I have been warned by a local that I may regret this in summer, however. May need to look at adding a fan to the cabin before then. Some issues with slopes and loose terrain, however. Modifications to the wheels and drive system may well be required.

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The new broader wheels help considerably with soft and loose terrain. Still having some issues with weight distribution and steering. Need to develop a variant drive train and steering system that will power all wheels simultaneously. Could be quite a challenge.

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The device from The Mines appears to be a highly compact and efficient steam engine of some description. I have been unable to dismantle it to ascertain the nature of the mechanisms inside. It appears that when connected to an adequate water supply, and fitted with one of the glowing rods found in the adjacent chamber, it appears to produce a substantial quantity of electricity, rotational motion, and an exhaust of high-pressure steam. The modifications will be challenging, but this will an excellent alternative power source for the Angel, as well as my other devices.

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The Radium Engine, which I have named for the town near the mines where I discovered it, has been a tremendous boon. The Angel has a positive surplus of power, now. The absence of pistons has simplified the drive system, and I have now managed to connect it to the steering-wheels as well. I have also taken the liberty of installing a small calliope to use the excess steam, so that I may enjoy musical accompaniment while I travel. It does appear that I have erred in the installation, however. The speed at which the music plays corresponds to the speed of travel. Although interesting, this was not my intention. I shall correct this later, and send off for more music rolls at the first opportunity.

As per usual, the accuracy of some of this is questionable, to say the least. I certainly hope so, anyway. The thought of Uncle Jack lumbering over the Canadian countryside in some sort of steam turbine powered tractor with a miniature organ mounted on the back is quite an unsettling one. Though it might go some way to explaining some of the odd tracks and strange howling sounds reported by some other groups and expeditions, so then again, who knows? I'm fairly confident that he didn't find some sort of nuclear reactor in a mine, though. I'll have to look for the rest of his notes on Radium and the mines.