Improvements in and relating to Railways for Recreation.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Railways for Recreation.
I, WALTER STENNING, of 46, Dewhurst Road, West Kensington, in the County
of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to railways for recreation, and is designed to provide a
novel form of railway train adapted to imitate in appearance and in its movements
a sea serpent, snake or other monster.
According to one form of my invention, I provide a serpentine track laid at a
suitable depth under water. The train is composed of a number of vehicles each
representing a section of the body of a sea-serpent, the front or first vehicle being
made in the form of a head and the last vehicle in that of a tail. The vehicles are
provided with a continuous covering which is folded after the manner of bellows
or is otherwise arranged at those parts between adjacent vehicles, so as to permit
the train to readily follow the curves of the track; and is covered with scales or the
like, so as to represent as nearly as possible the generally accepted idea of a sea-
serpent. This covering reaches below the surface of the water which latter hides
the supporting means from the spectators and thereby causes the train to offer the
illusory appearance of a serpent floating on the water. Accommodation for
passengers may be provided at the sides or top of some or all of the vehicles.
Any appropriate means may be employed for propelling the train either as a
whole, or each vehicle independently. The track is preferably of such construction
as to cause the vehicles to rise and fall and to swing or incline laterally, as they
pass around the curves thereof, so that the train shall imitate the undulatory or
sinuous movements of a serpent. I may also provide safety devices for preventing
the vehicles leaving the track.
1 provide the head and tail sections or vehicles with means for obtaining appro-
priate mechanical effects or movements. For example, the inclination of the
head may be variable; water may be projected from the nostrils or mouth; and the
eyes may be constituted by small search lights adjustably mounted at the ends of
flexible horns. The tail may be caused to swing up and down or from side to side
so as to beat or lash the water. Movable fins or the like may if desired also be
provided on intermediate sections of the body, and said fins may be arranged to
act as a brake. These effects or movements may be automatically caused during
movement of the vehicles, or may be obtained by independent means.
Dated this 15th day of Nov 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.. Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Railways for Recreation.
I, WALTER STENNING, of 46, Dewhurst Road, West-Kensington, in the County
of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and' ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to railways for recreation, and is designed to provide a
railway train adapted to imitate in appearance and in its movements an animal or
nonster such as a sea-serpent, or snake.
According to my invention I provide a train adapted to run upon a track laid
under water or otherwise disposed so as to be practically invisible.. This train
is composed of a series or number of vehicles each representing a section.or portion
of the body of an animal or monster such as a sea-serpent, the front or first vehicle
or vehicles being made in the form of its head and the last vehicle or vehicles in
that of its tail. The vehicles are provided with a continuous covering which repre-
sents or imitates as nearly as possible the generally accepted idea of the animal or
monster which it is desired to imitate. This covering terminates below, the surface
of the water, and consequently the monster appears to float or swim upon the water.
In cases where a snake or other land monster is to be represented, the track, instead
of being laid under water may be laid in a bed of long grass, moss, or the like,
either natural or artificial. Accommodation for passengers is provided on or in
some or all of the vehicles.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings, which show, by way of example, a sea-serpent constructed according
to my invention, and in which :-
Figure 1 is a view of two of the trains upon a sheet of water surrounded with
natural or artificial rocks and sands.
.
Figure 2 shows in plan a suitable form of.track upon which the trains are to run.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the head section or portion and an adjacent body
section or portion of the serpent, drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of one of the body sections or portions
of the serpent.
Figure 5 is a plan of a suitable form of truck or under carriage for the body
sections.
Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation of the last or tail vehicle.
Figure 7. is a view similar to Figure 4 showng a modified form of covering
ith means for illuminating the same.
a is the front vehicle or section of the train, b, b are intermediate vehicles or
sections, and c is the tail vehicle or section. The vehicle a carries, or is con-
structed to form, the head of the sea-serpent. It also, in the present instance,
carries a motor of any appropriate kind or form, said vehicle thus constituting a
locomotive by which the train is drawn. I may however employ several motors
arranged at suitable distances apart throughout the train; or each vehicle or
section may be provided with a separate motor, say, an electric motor.
The covering or skin e is formed of leather or other appropriate substance, and
has on its outer surface scales f of metal, glass or other suitable material. In
cases where a steam or oil motor is employed, the parts of the skin adjacent thereto
preferably consist entirely of metal. At the portions e of the skin between adjacent
vehicles said skin is folded or pleated or otherwise rendered flexible and extensible
for the purpose of enabling it to readily accommodate itself to the movement of

page_text: the vehicles as the train moves along the serpentine track or as the vehicles separate
slightly or approach one another. The scales f are attached to the outer points or
edges of the folds and thus serve to hide the latter. When metal or other material
not susceptible of being folded is employed to form the skin, the portion between
the adjacent vehicles may be composed of a number of short telescopic pieces
connected together by pins and slots or other means and normally maintained in
a median position by springs. The skin is attached to the framework 9 carried
by the truck d of each vehicle.
In some cases I form the cover or skin of perforated or transparent fabric and
provide lamps within such cover for the purpose of illuminating the same.
Figure 7 illustrates such a construction. In this example the cover consists of a
suitable framework el supporting plates, prisms or other shaped pieces of glass e³,
which may be of various colours. Lamps e* are placed at suitable distances apart
along the middle of the vehicles, and are provided with reflectors directing the
light toward the skin or cover. The lamps may however be arranged at a short
distance only from the cover, the number of them being in such cases increased.
The trucks and wheels h may be of any appropriate construction. I preferably
employ centrally arranged combined buffing and coupling devices.
For the accommodation of passengers, seats i and foot boards are provided at
the sides of the vehicles, being attached to the framework g. Obviously seats may
also be arranged on the top of the vehicles if desired, and, where the size permits
of it, two rows or tiers of seats may be arranged at the sides of the vehicles.
Passengers may also be accommodated inside the cover e, if desired.
The track, which, except as regards its sinuous or serpentine nature, may be
similar to that of an ordinary railway, is laid upon a suitable foundation at the
bottom of the sheet of water, or, where the depth is too great for this, it is laid
upon a suitable embankment of trestle bridge. Said track is preferably banked or
raised at the outer side of the curves; and it may sometimes be constructed with
vertical as well as lateral undulations. The flanges of the wheels are formed
rather deep in order to decrease the liability of such wheels to leave the track in
going round the curves thereof. I may however provide any suitable means for
preventing the vehicles from being derailed.
The last vehicle of the train c carries the tail c¹ suspended therein by the pivot k
in such a manner that it can sway from side to side under the influence of the
sinuous movement of the train. is a balance weight tending to maintain the
tail portion in a horizontal position. The pivot k is arranged over one of the
wheel axles of the vehicle which axle is provided with an eccentric disc / sur-
rounded by a strap 1. To opposite sides of this strap is pivoted the yoke m¹
situated at the end of the link m whose opposite extremity is connected to the
tail cat m². When the train is moving the revolution of the axle will cause the
tail to move vertically, the connection of the link to the strap enabling this move-
ment to take place without hindering the longitudinal swaying movement of said
tail. In some cases the tail part of the monster may comprise two or more vehicles
or sections. Obviously however the employment of a movable tail is not essential.
When steam is employed as the motive power, the holes representing the
nostrils of the sea-serpent may be connected by a pipe n¹ with the exhaust chamber
of the engine so that exhaust steam may escape from such holes; or a jet of water
may be projected from the nostrils. The eyes p contain an electric or other lamp
or lamps, and, if desired may be mounted at the extremity of flexible horns or
supports by means of which the eyes can be moved or turned. The inclination
of the head may also if desired, be rendered variable by employing pivotal or
hinged supports for the skin or shell of the head. In such case movement of the
head might be effected by the driver of the train or by means similar to those
already described with reference to the tail.
Fins, claws or legs, such as those shown at r in Figures 1 and 5, can, in the case
of a sea-serpent, be provided at suitable points along the train. They are pivotally
supported and have an extension r¹ beyond the pivot (Figure 5) to which extension

page_text: is connected a link q secured at its other extremity to a strap q¹ working on an
eccentric disc upon the wheel axle. The revolution of the wheels will thus cause
the fins or the like to move backward and forward. These fins may also be adapted
to constitute brake devices, by being caused to lie beneath the surface of the water
so that the resistance they offer to their passage through the water will tend to
check the progress of the train. For this purpose I provide means for depressing the
said fins or claws. Such means may consist of vacuum cylinders under the control
of the driver, the pistons of such cylinders being connected to the fins and
operating to retain them in a horizontal position so long as the vacuum is main-
tained. Or compressed air may be used for this purpose.
In place of the fins, claws or legs or in addition thereto, I may employ ordinary
brake blocks such as those shown at s Figure 3. .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A railway train comprising a series or number of connected vehicles provided
with a flexible covering which may or may not be transparent, and which is
designed to imitate or resemble a sea serpent or other monster.
.
2. In the said train the mechanism for operating the tail or the fins substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A railway train adapted to travel on a serpentine track and having its parts
constructed, arranged and combined to operate substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.