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De Dion-Bouton steam buses, lorries and traction-avant units: a request for information

De Dion-Bouton steam buses, lorries and traction-avant units: a request for information

  • De Dion-Bouton steam buses, lorries and traction-avant units: a request for information
Letters to the editor
 
De Dion-Bouton's history as a commercial-vehicle maker can be traced all the way back to the earliest days of the company in the 1880s, when Charles Trépardoux was involved with the company. Although Trépardoux's departure in 1893 heralded the company's shift from steam power to internal combustion for its cars, its omnibus and lorry products are thought to have relied on steam power up to 1902. From 1903, the De Dion commercial range would be fully internal combustion-powered, and encompass a large range of models including delivery vans, large lorries and omnibuses. De Dion lorries would play a significant part in the French war effort from 1914 to 1918, but production would dwindle alongside passenger car output in the post-war years, but the company was still involved with bus and railcar construction into the 1930s.

Despite their long production life, there is very little information to be found about De Dion-Bouton commercials, so we hope some readers will be able to help with the below enquiry:

The De Dion-Bouton club has suggested that I write to you as I am researching steam buses, lorries and traction avant units made by De DIon-Bouton. I am looking for illustrations, technical information, &c. Information on the web appears to be very sparse.

Can you help, please?

Greg Stevens

 

Published:
Monday October 14th, 2024

Comments

David Grimstead
17 October 2024, 17:14
Greg, in “Motor Vehicles and Motors, their design, construction and working by steam, oil and electricity” by W. Worby Beaumont, published in 1902, Chapter 28 is about heavy motor vehicles and there is a section (pages 481-486) on the 1897 De Dion & Bouton 16-passenger Steam Omnibus. It includes full descriptions of its mechanical components and construction as well as photographs and drawings. You can find it on the HathiTrust website by web-searching: "HathiTrust Worby Beaumont".

From there you can find other references to De Dion and steam vehicles, of which there are many, such as the August, 1896, edition of the American Horseless Age, including a full description of the latest De Dion steam tractor: Pauline or bogie moteur. The March, 1897, Autocar has details of the De Dion Steam Brake. There is also “Steam Carriages and Traction Engines” by William Fletcher, 1904, which shows and describes the 1894-96 De Dion & Bouton articulated steam tractor unit with its attached omnibus wagonette—Wallis-Tayler covers it again in his 1904 “Motor Cars”. Many pre-1900 French books, such as “Voiture de Demain” with details of “Camions à Vapeur de Dion” and “Char à bancs de De Dion & Bouton” are on there too.
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