The Ransom Steam Street Car, invented as an alternative to horsecar street cars – trolleys – had received an early trial in Lansingburgh. Lansingburgh was also the home of the Vice President of the Ransom Steam Car Company, Elias F. Rogers – husband of prominent Lansingburgh suffragist Caroline Maria Gilkey Rogers. The Secretary, Superintendent and assignee of the patents Louis Ransom himself had been a resident of Lansingburgh in the 1860s, though evidently not in 1877 when the steam street car venture incorporated.
“Rapid Transit in Philadelphia; The New Steam Cars on the Market Street Line.” New York Daily Graphic. March 27, 1877: 185. [Drawings of exterior, interior, motive power of Ransom Steam Street Car]
—The success of the Ransom steam street car was demonstrated at a public trial in Troy, on Tuesday. The car was run to Lansingburgh, and return, and worked admirably, with the exception of some unimportant defects in relation to the valves and pipes. It ran noiselessly, and took switches as easily as the ordinary cars do, not making a mistake in a single instance, even when at a high rate of speed—fifteen miles per hour. In the opinion of the practical man who witnessed the workings of the new locomotive, the inventor has attained success and has furnished a car which can be run more rapidly and cheaply than the ordinary horse car.
Syracuse Daily Courier. October 14, 1876: 4 col 1.
mprovement in Steam Street-cars. Louis Ransom, assignee. Patent US187314 A. 13 Feb. 1877.
https://www.google.com/patents/US187314
The Ransom steam street car, which it is proposed to place on the Albany, West Troy and Watervliet Railroad, with boiler and engine, will cost about $3,000, which is much more than an ordinary street car; but it is claimed by the inventor that the car will do the work of four drawn by horses; that is, on a road where a good rate of speed may be attained. On other roads, three steam cars will do the work of six drawn by horses, and he also claims that a steam car will run four times as fast as horse cars, and that though one of his cars be a little more expensive at first, it pays in the end, because it can be run, employing an engineer and fireman, and paying for the coal, for a trifle over $7 per day. Mr. Foster, the Superintendent of the West Troy Railroad, will give the invention a fair trial, and if the project is successful, will probably fit the road with steam cars.
Albany Morning Express. March 23, 1877: 3 col 1.
Troy Daily Times. March 22, 1877: 3 col 1. [Quoting Albany Times, which the Morning Express must’ve done as well.]
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THE NEW STEAM CARS OF THE WEST PHILADELPHIA PASSENGER RAILWAY COMPANY.
PHILADELPHIA BRANCH OFFICE OF THE GRAPHIC, March 26.—The recent movement in favor of rapid transit in this city, originated by one or two prominent citizens, has aroused much enthusiasm upon the subject. […]
The passenger cars propelled with steam which are successfully used by the West Philadelphia Railway Company, are owned by the “Ransom Steam Car Company” of Troy, New York. This corporation was organized last year and has the following officers: President, E. G. Gilbert; Vice-President, Elias F. Rogers; Secretary and Superintendent, Louis Ransom; Treasurer, Walter R. Bush, Jr. The cars, of which illustrations are given, measure twenty feet in length. The passenger compartment occupies fifteen feet.
New York Daily Graphic. March 27, 1877: 184.
The initial trip of the Ransom steam street car, which was tried as an experiment, to run between this city and West Troy, arrived at the foot of State street at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon. After waiting to take on a number of citizens and representatives of the press, who had been invited to make the trial trip, the car was soon on its way, the departure being witnessed by a large concourse of our citizens, who had gathered to witness the advent of steam on our street roads. The progress through the city was necessarily slow, but when the party reached the Patroon’s they had a taste of what could be expected before West Troy was reached. The run from the Patroon’s to the horse railroad depot was made in 4 minutes. After taking in a supply of water the car flew like lightning, reaching the terminus in 19 minutes. Remaining a shot time in Troy the excursionists returned to this city, encountering only one or two delays. Every one seemed perfectly satisfied with the “new departure,” and it may become a successful and permanent convenience. A description of the car has already appeared in these columns.
Albany Morning Express. April 27, 1877: 3 col 1.
—The Ransom steam street car recently exhibited in this city was taken to Syracuse last Saturday.
Troy Daily Times. May 8, 1877: 3 col 1.
The Ransom steam street car, built by Gilbert, Bush & Co., in 1877, was also a very complete affair, and performed excellent service, according to report, on the Market Street Railway of Philadelphia.
“The Street Railroad Problem.” American Railroad Journal 57(5). August 1883. 178.