ceed wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:27:08 -0500, David Brown
> > wrote:
>
>> So the engine could run on both gasoline and the "gases" the wood
>> created when burning? Or maybe it was steam pressure?
>
> I don't know the details, but I know it was not steam. The cars were
> modified to run on this fuel, and you had to start the burning of
> knott in good time before you planned on driving. The gas was
> filtered and cooled before it entered the engine working quite
> similar to evaporated gasoline.

My Dad would talk fondly of his time in CHna during WWII. One the things he
mentioned was smoke powered cars. In this case the smoke was derived from
burning cow dung. I imagine the principle is the same. Smoking wood (or
dung) emits flammable vapors that can be sucked into a carburetor and
burned. He also mentioned, you had to get out and push them up hills. He
even had a picture of one. Looked like a big moonshine still in the back of
a pick up truck. Couldn't carry much in the truck because the still took up
most of the truck bed.