Doble-Simplex Car

 

Engine from the Charlie Briar Doble-Simplex car; which was never a real Doble-Simplex.  Charlie Briar used the starter-generator and water pump assembly from the original Doble project that he found in Besler’s shop and then built a car around it based on an under-slung Jordan Six chassis and this V-2 Besler made engine.  Besler used this engine for electrical generator power in the Blue Goose New Haven Railroad steam car.  It is a V-2 piston valve double acting compound with a cast steam jacket   Doble Simplex Car
     
for the high pressure cylinder.  This unit has a weld probably because of a water slug.  The car had a monotube steam generator built around a Besler smoke coil.
 
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Doble Simplex   Doble Simplex
 
The original Doble-Simplex had a checkered history.  Its V-4 uniflow engine is now on the Isle of Man being restored.  It had a knife and fork connecting rods.  This vehicle was cobbled together by Charlie Briar of San Diego.  Charlie used to own Doble E-19 and after he sold it he went to the Besler factory in Emeryville in the early 1950s and took enough parts to make this.  He used an underslung Model A Ford frame, made a steam generator from parts of a Besler smoke generator, and took a small V-2 from the Besler factory.  Charlie sold this to Howard Langdon who sold it to Carlton Nelson and John Johnson of East Hampton, Connecticut in partnership, and Carl sold it to me. 
     
Doble Simplex   Doble Simplex
 
There are two reports on the history of the V-2 engine, both from Jim Crank.  One story is that this engine is one of two made by Besler for the Blue Goose train to run the battery charging generator.  The other is that it was an experiemental steam driven auxiliary unit for Doble F-31.  There is a photo of Warren Doble standing with it positioned upside down like it in the photo.  According to Besler it was: “too expensive, too noisy, and too heavy.  The engine has a 2” stroke.  HP bore is 1.531” and LP bore is 2.575”.  The HP cylinder is steam jacketed and timing is controlled by a slip eccentric.  Hollow piston valves allows exhaust through the center of the valves for cooling.  The car arrived at my shop disassembled and it has not fixed itself since.