Impulsoria

The Impulsoria was a locomotive constructed in 1850 that was powered via a gearbox by one-two to four horses on a treadmill following a design by Clemente Masserano. It undertook trials in London in 1850 and was exhibited at The Great Exhibition in 1851.

==Description== The invention of a successful mobile treadmill powered locomotive was made by Clemente Masserano from Pignerol in Italy. The idea was not new, but previous attempts in England, France, and Spain were unsuccessful. Using Masserano's designs, Impulsoria was built in Italy and transported to England. A syndicate was formed and it was trialled at the Nine Elms terminus of the South Western Railway line in London where it successfully completed a hill climb. The trials were supported by the directors of the South Western Railway and assisted by their Chief Engineer John Gooch. The device was said to be much cheaper to run than a steam locomotive. The device allowed a steam locomotive to be replaced by this vehicle, which used the power of two or four horses that had to walk up a treadmill, called a pedivella by Masserano. The power was transferred to the wheels by chains and notably the wheels had roller-bearings and a gearbox that allowed it to climb. It was said to be able to pull 30 wagons up an incline and could be used with two or four horses. thumb|left|A sketch of Masserano's Impulsoria The gear box allowed the horses to always walk at their best speed whilst the vehicle could then have a range of speeds and torques. Because of the gears, the top speed was not limited to the top speed of the horses. The gearbox allowed the horses to drive the vehicle in forward as well as reverse directions, and it was also possible to disengage the drive so that the vehicle could stop whilst the horses continued to walk up the treadmill.