Talk:Steam tank

a notice
the article should write that it was manufactured by the Stanley motor carriage company (SMCC) that show the constructor name and not only write the "Expertise was called in from...." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.72.100.62 (talk) 05:33, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

500hp?
A 500hp steam engine is, like, really powerful. A lot of early steamships didn't have engines that powerful. Usually steam engines are low hp, very high torque. While it is possible to make a high speed, 500hp steam engine, it would be unusual for the era, and it would give the machine a better power to weight ratio than most WWII tanks, easily giving it a top speed of 35mph or so. Are we sure it's not 500hp COMBINED? Even that is hard to believe, but easier than a 1,000hp tank in WWI.

Idumea47b (talk) 07:31, 30 July 2020 (UTC)

I see I misread the article, and that it does in fact say that the 500hp rating is combined total. The infobox should be updated to make this more clear. This still works out to roughly three times the power to weight ratio of a Mark IV tank, so why is the top speed roughly the same? A 250hp steam engine is putting put a serious output. I think it more likely that this is boiler horsepower rating or something else, which is not directly comparable to modern horsepower ratings. It is a measure of boiler dimensions, working pressure and heating area, and it usually results in a number significantly higher than the actual rated output of the engine itself.

Idumea47b (talk) 23:10, 30 July 2020 (UTC)