Tim Gosling delves into the history of the Foden Steam Wagon
The handbooks for early vehicles can make for an interesting read as the manufacturers often make very generalised statements and assume that the drivers will understand exactly what they mean. One of the instructions within the Foden five-ton steam wagon book is particularly ambiguous when it states that the driver should have a “moderate idea of speed”.
What this moderation actually meant was that a Foden with steel tyres should not exceed a top speed of 5mph and one with rubber tyres should not exceed 8mph. The Foden was a powerful machine and could easily exceed these speeds but the vibration would cause undue stress on the chassis, axles and the engine thereby shortening its working life.
It seems strange that at a time when great advances with the internal combustion engine had been made that the War Department would still be considering the purchase of steam wagons. However, by November 1918 there were 1,053 in service with the British Army, approximately 800 of which had been made by Foden.
Apart from a few examples built in France, the steam wagon was a British development and the first type of commercial vehicle. Steam wagons came i…
