---
title: "Goldsworthy Gurney"
chunk: 4/8
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldsworthy_Gurney"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:06:20.803004+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Gurney's steam drags ==
During 1828, Gurney switched from developing his steam coach to producing a steam drag, a small road-going steam locomotive which could pull a carriage, an omnibus or any other wheeled vehicle. A key figure in this was Sir Charles Dance, a retired colonel of the Life Guards (one of the regiments based at Regent Park Barracks). Five years later he told a meeting in Westminster of 40 MPs, peers and others that:    ... several years ago he had been induced to consider the application of Steam to locomotive purposes as important to the military operations of the country, and had subsequently embarked capital in Mr Gurney's experiments ...
On 22 July 1829 Gurney's new steam drag was on view at Dance's home at Bushey in Hertfordshire. Present was General Sir James Willoughby Gordon FRS, Quartermaster-General of the Army. His responsibilities included equipping and moving the army and its materiel. The next day, General Gordon wrote a highly favourable report of what he had seen at Bushey. The vehicle had performed for half an hour at up to 10 mph, uphill and around corners, with a barouche in tow.     
Five days later, on 27 July 1829, a procession of four vehicles set out for Bath from Cranford Bridge, just to the west of Hounslow, the main coaching station west of London. At General Gordon's instigation, Gurney's drag was to be tested on the first long-distance journey at speed by steam locomotion.     

Sandwiched between carriages drawn by horses were Gurney's steam drag with Gurney aboard, drawing his private carriage. Dance's account of the journey is at pp.265-268 of The Taylor Papers.     

At Melksham there was a fray with people throwing stones at the vehicle and its occupants. The stoker was injured, the vehicle damaged and it had to be escorted under guard to Bath to prevent further attacks. It remained there for two days for repairs and was then escorted back to Melksham. Gurney claimed the return from Melksham to Hounslow took 10 hours (including stoppages) for a distance of 84 miles.     
On 12th August 1829, the Duke of Wellington, who was then Prime Minister, inspected Gurney's steam drag at the Hounslow Barracks yard and travelled in a barouche pulled by a drag (see image).  

=== Gurney's Light Steam Drags ===
In March 1830, Gurney acquiesced to the entreaties of the immensely rich William Crawshay II to send a steam drag to Cyfarthfa, Merthyr Tydfil, to test its suitability for use as a rail locomotive at his father's ironworks at Hirwain.   
After switching to cast-iron wheels, the engine, which Crawshay reported weighed 30 cwt, acquitted itself well. It is not clear whether Crawshay kept the drag; by the end of 1830, Crawshay owned one. In a letter of 23 February 1832, he reported how pleased he was with its performance during calendar year 1831.  

In the 1832 edition of Elemental Locomotion, Gordon describes the latest light drag which Gurney had built:The shape of the body of this steamer is what coachmakers call a "brisca." It is entirely used as a drag for other carriages ... No passengers are allowed to be in this drag: the coach-box being occupied by the conductor, and the interior by the boiler at A, and by the engineer with fuel and water at R ... Mr. Gurney has placed the chimney in the back of the body, and it is so constructed that it cannot be seen by horses on the road. The water for the boiler is poured in to the tanks through a funnel which resembles a "dickey'' [seat for servants] on the hind boot.The chimney appears to have been a triangular-section hood above the boiler, with a transverse outlet at the top, similar to that on his patent design for an improved steam coach. As Gurney later said, it would not be seen by approaching horses.    
In 1831 Gurney built and sent the first two of a planned six steam drags to John Ward in Glasgow for use on the Edinburgh - Glasgow road. One of them made a successful trip to Paisley and Renfrew, but attempts on the road to Edinburgh failed, leaving the vehicle damaged. Gurney and his engineer returned to London, having (as the engineer thought) disabled the vehicle by removing the safety valve. Ward's engineer patched it up for a demonstration at the Glasgow cavalry barracks in June 1831. It exploded, seriously injuring two boys. Ward withdrew from his contract with Gurney.     