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Letting off steam

A report from Tricia Main, our Head Girl, on developing a steam engine

I pick up "Greased Lightning" - the irony in my machine's name not amusing at the time - and move to the 'desperate and dejected' bench, to blow off some steam! Here it is evident that many sleepless nights,  sanding, soldering (and screaming) have not helped to improve the mood of the unsuccessful car-producers.

As time ticks by,  elation for some and frustration for others builds. Deidre has replaced the "time-wasting" technique of carefully lighting the burner wicks with the lighting rod through the opening in the back, by simply blow-torching the whole car!

Clair also experienced combustion problems when her car needed to be 'put-out' with a fire-extinguisher! After it worked...she adds.

Five minutes left, and pressure, not just in boilers, is building. Our excitment has echoed through the corridors and drawn a curious crowd to the accelerating action. Encirled by onlookers, Lee's previously incapacitated car mysteriously works - obviously a good performer under pressure!

 Whoahooo! Jessica and Jenna shriek with relief as Jessica's perservence pays off ater 45 minutes. It doesn't matter now if Mrs Jaaback is not convinced that the whole hostel saw it work last night.

Spirits are high - no doubt fueled by the heavy cloud of meths in the air! My safety valve close to blowing, I risk one more desperate attempt to redeem myself. My wicks are blow-torched and boiler fired up. Steam streams out the copper tube and turns my turbine wildly - but in vain. Pushing and nudging doesn't help. My alignment is off - mechanics aren't for me!

Through this tough experience, I've gained a few words in my vocabulary ...
..and the satisfaction that I, a 17 year-old woman, built a car - even if it was stationary!

Click on any of these thumbnail images of the fine models produced by our Matriculants.

Some of the fine specimans produces by our aspirant Car Designers

Greater love hath no woman...     

Lisa Price reports on the same event and tells us how it was done

On Thursday 22 February 2001 our entire Science class actually rushed to the lab for the first time ever, all very keen and excited to show off their steam cars.  Most of us were nervous, because we weren't sure if they would run properly.  We went down to the Maths block and used the space in the middle where the lockers were to line up our little racers.  We filled them up with metholated spirits and water and set them on the boil. Then anxiously awaited for the steam to build up and hopefully spin the turbine as fast as possible and hurtle our cars across the floor. 

Most of us got them to go a couple of meters. But for some, it was very depressing when all the steam came out, but nothing turned around.  I think Mrs Jaaback decided that all the excitement of these cars and all the noise we were making was a bit much for the Maths teachers and instructed us to move the escapade upstairs outside the science labs.   It was at this point, that Claire Write decided to set her car alight and the fire extinguisher had to be brought out to restore order. (Now could this possibly have been an ingenious and deliberate attempt to divert our attention?)

It was a lot of fun making these cars, but I think it put many girls off the idea of ever becoming mechanical engineers.

Steam car in action
Full of Sound and Fury - this one sounded terribly impressive
Formula One Model - just look at it go
Many of them needed a lot of coaxing and encouragement, others needed a little kickstart
Some appeared to be involved in a race
Some designers were simply desperate to document proof of the potential of their creation

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This page was last updated on 04 September 2001 04:32