Carpet Railway
Encyclopedia
A Birmingham Dribbler or carpet railway describes the very first model railways. It is a bit of a misnomer, as the railway featured a model live steam
railway locomotive, but no track – the locomotive was simply run across the floor. They first appeared in the 1840s and became very popular Victorian
model railway toy
s.
The steam locomotive
s were very simple, usually made in brass
, with a simple oscillating cylinder driving the main wheels. They were basically a boiler
mounted on wheels, although simple decoration (usually bands of lacquer) was sometimes applied. Track was not used – the boiler was filled with water, the burner lit, and when steam was being produced, the locomotive was placed on the floor and allowed to run until either the water ran out or the engine crashed into the furniture. Very quickly, after a number had exploded, simple safety valves were fitted.
They quickly gained the nickname of Birmingham
Dribblers, as they had the unfortunate habit of leaving a trail of water behind them as they ran across the floor. Very often this trail would be mixed with the fuel used for the burner, and there were numerous incidents of fires caused by the locomotive crashing into furniture and over-turning so that the burning fuel was spilled over the floor. The fuel inside has also been known to explode, but this is incredibly rare. As time passed, embellishments were added, such as wooden buffer beams, buffers and steam whistles.
Live steam
Live steam is steam under pressure, obtained by heating water in a boiler. The steam is used to operate stationary or moving equipment.A live steam machine or device is one powered by steam, but the term is usually reserved for those that are replicas, scale models, toys, or otherwise used for...
railway locomotive, but no track – the locomotive was simply run across the floor. They first appeared in the 1840s and became very popular Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
model railway toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s.
The steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s were very simple, usually made in brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
, with a simple oscillating cylinder driving the main wheels. They were basically a boiler
Pot boiler
A pot boiler is an externally-heated simple enclosure in which water is heated to produce steam. They can also use a heated stone when used in cooking. When the stone gets hot enough, it gets put in the pot to boil the contents. Usually, they are found in archeological sites, near fire or in inner...
mounted on wheels, although simple decoration (usually bands of lacquer) was sometimes applied. Track was not used – the boiler was filled with water, the burner lit, and when steam was being produced, the locomotive was placed on the floor and allowed to run until either the water ran out or the engine crashed into the furniture. Very quickly, after a number had exploded, simple safety valves were fitted.
They quickly gained the nickname of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Dribblers, as they had the unfortunate habit of leaving a trail of water behind them as they ran across the floor. Very often this trail would be mixed with the fuel used for the burner, and there were numerous incidents of fires caused by the locomotive crashing into furniture and over-turning so that the burning fuel was spilled over the floor. The fuel inside has also been known to explode, but this is incredibly rare. As time passed, embellishments were added, such as wooden buffer beams, buffers and steam whistles.