Rail, auto, and aviation innovations at The Henry Ford history museum

Tech of the past: Allegheny Locomotive closer look

A series of levers, knobs, and dials are all that the engineer needed to operate this train. This is a rare picture -- usually this area is crowded with kids.

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Tech of the past: Allegheny Locomotive's tender car

The inside of the Allegheny's tender car, completely empty of course.

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Tech of the past: Train Snow Plow

Railroad tracks were completely useless when large snowstorms hit, unless the rail company had a few of these around.

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Tech of the past: Coach Car

The inside view of a passenger train car. How many movies from the pre-flight era had scenes in cars that looked just like this?

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Tech of the past: Stationary Steam Engine

The steam engines in this picture were used to power large factories. Engines like these were incredibly stable and accurate when it comes to speed, so they were very useful for precision tasks. They were also very efficient, which saved the factories money in the long run. These engines were built between the 1850s and 1880s and were used for decades.

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Tech of the past: Moira Engine

The Moira Engine was used to pump water out of subterranean areas. It was fueled by waste coal, which was cheap.

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Tech of the past: Steam Tractor

Before diesel engines became the standard, farm equipment was powered by steam traction engines like this one. This particular engine was made around 1916.

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Tech of the past: Farm Machinery

Pictured here is various farm equipment spanning several decades in the early-to-mid 1900s. The Henry Ford museum has a large section dedicated to farming history, including a harvester where children can climb in the cab (not pictured in this gallery due to said children).

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Tech of the past: Ford Quadricycle

A popular misconception is that Henry Ford invented the car -- he did not. He did, however, invent this car in 1896. The Ford Quadricycle was built in a shed behind the house that Henry Ford rented at the age of 33 with the help of some of his friends. The Quadricycle had 4 horsepower.

You didn't think we'd have a Henry Ford museum photo gallery without some cars, did you?

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Tech of the past: Model A Runabout

After a few failed attempts at creating a salable automobile, Ford finally hit it right with the Model A. This runabout version sold for $850 (1 year, 9 months average salary) in 1903. Interestingly enough, the engine, transmission, and chassis was built by the Dodge machine shop (yes, the same Dodge that makes cars today). At the time, however, Dodge was not making automobiles -- they didn't venture down that road until 1914. This Model A has 8 horsepower.

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Tech of the past: Model B Touring

Most people are familiar with the Model A and the Model T, but Ford went through all the letters in between too. This image is of a Model B touring car from 1905. This model did not sell very well, but it revolutionized the rear axle and driveshaft design so much so that it was used on Ford cars until 1948. The Model B cost $2,000 (3 years, 9 months average salary) and had 24 horsepower.

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Tech of the past: Model N Runabout

In 1906, Ford released the Model N runabout. It was a popular car among the middle class due to its price of only $500 (1 year average salary), but it was too small for families. It had 15 horsepower.

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Tech of the past: Model S Roadster

The 1908 Model S roadster was a step in the right direction with a smaller back seat that would accomodate children. Also, at only $750 (1 year, 5 months average salary), it was still fairly affordable.

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Tech of the past: Model T Touring

Up through the Model S in 1908, Ford still used stationary assembly areas -- he had not yet invented the moving assembly line method. However, beginning around 1910 certain portions of the new Model T were being put together on moving assembly lines. By 1913, nearly the entire vehicle was assembled on a moving line.

In 1914, Model T touring cars like this one were fully assembled on a moving line. This had advantages (faster assembly, more focused jobs) and drawbacks (more boring jobs). Contrary to another popular belief, the black color was not chosen because it dried fastest; in fact, it was simply faster and easier to use only one color, and black was the least expensive and most durable. As Henry Ford said, "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black." This 1914 Model T cost $550 (10.5 months average salary) and had 20 horsepower.

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Tech of the past: Model T Sedan

The later 1919 Model T sedan pictured above cost $875 (only 8.5 months average salary) and had 20 horsepower. By this year, 6.6 million passenger cars were in the United States and nearly half of them were Model Ts. Also beginning this year, states began imposing gasoline taxes used to improve roads for these new, fancy automobiles.

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Tech of the past: Model T Broken Down

This is a Model T with its hood and wheels removed, revealing the small block engine.

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Tech of the past: Model T Suspended

Another Model T suspended in pieces showing how each component went together to form the automobile.

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Tech of the past: Model A Touring

By 1927, innovations in automobile technology forced Ford to face the truth: The Model T was obsolete. Beginning in 1928, Ford released the new Model A. The Model A touring car from 1930 pictured here cost $645 (5.5 months average salary) and had 40 horsepower. Henry Ford and his son Edsel designed this car, borrowing looks from more expensive cars like the Lincoln.

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Tech of the past: Ford V-8

The Model A was, unfortunately, short-lived. Beginning to be outsold by Chevrolet in 1931, Henry Ford made his last innovation: the 1932 Ford V-8 cabriolet. Costing $610 (6.5 months average salary) and having 65 horsepower, this Ford was a workingman's muscle car. Gaining fame for their fast speed, Henry Ford received a letter from Clyde Barrow raving about using these as getaway cars.

Unfortunately, throughout the 30s, Ford resisted changing several components of his cars to keep up with his competitors and the technology available at the time. This resulted in Fords being regularly outsold by Chevrolets. By the 1940s, Ford was producing B-24 bombers instead of automobiles in order to support the war effort. Following the war, and Edsel Ford's untimely death, Henry Ford II (Henry's grandson) took over the company.

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Tech of the past: Duryea Trap & Stevens-Duryea Model U

Ford wasn't the only automaker in the world. Others like Charles Duryea were creating small trap-style vehicles like his 1899 model in the foreground. This vehicle cost $1,200 (2 years, 10 months average salary) and had 6 horsepower. Unlike later vehicles, this trap had back-to-back seating, which was common in horse-drawn carriages of the time.

By 1908, Duryea had merged with J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company to create this Model U limousine. As it cost $4,500 (8 years, 9months average salary), the average person could not afford it, but it was popular amond the wealthy.

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Tech of the past: Packard Model F

This 1903 Packard Model F runabout was a competitor for the Ford Model A. This particular unit made the second-ever cross continent trip in 1903 taking 61 days. (The first was earlier that year and took 63 days.) This began the tradition of Cannonball Run, which would continue for the next several decades culminating in the 1979 Jaguar XJ-S 32 hour, 51 minute trip. This vehicle cost $2,500 (5 years, 1 month average salary) and had 12 horsepower.

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Tech of the past: Rambler Knickerbocker

The 1912 Rambler Knickerbocker limousine was quite the sight. With a separate chauffeur's compartment and all leather and mohogany interiors, as well as silk curtains over the windows, this was a car to make a statement. And that statement? The owner must be wealthy, as he just spent $4,200 on this limo (7 years, 1 month average salary).

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Tech of the Past: Goldenrod

This 1965 Goldenrod created and held a land speed record for wheel-driven cars of 409.277 mph for over 25 years. Powered by four Chrysler engines, it was created in a converted vegetable stand by a pair of brothers who invested relatively little into the car.

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Tech of the past: Bugatti Type 41

If the limousines of earlier slides weren't enough for you, this 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale convertible ought to be. Costing $43,000 (31 years average salary), it was a car for only the most elite. In fact, this particular unit is one of only six Bugatti Royales ever made, and this one was a world traveller. It was built in France and then purchased by a German physician who first fled to China after Hitler was made chancellor and then went to Canada after Japan invaded China. After travelling across Canada, it ended up in New York, where it suffered a crack in the engine block rendering it unmovable (under its own power). Finally, it was bought and restored by the chief engineer (and later, VP) of Buick who restored it and sold it to The Henry Ford museum. More trivia: All six Bugatti Royales were gathered together in Pebble Beach, California at the Concours d'Elegance in 1985.

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Tech of the past: Detroit Electric Model 47

Most people think electric cars are a thing of the present but, in fact, they've been around for more than a century. This 1914 Detroit Electric Model 47 brougham was owned and driven by Clara Ford, wife of Henry. Surprised that she didn't drive a Ford? Don't be. In the years before electric starters and smoother transmissions made gasoline-powered cars more usable, women commonly drove electric cars such as this one. An electric car in 1914 cost about $3,750, which was 5 years, 11 months average salary.

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Tech of the past: Stagecoach Travel Trailer

This 1935 Stagecoach travel trailer was first owned by Henry and Clara Ford before being given to Charles Lindbergh in 1942. In this trailer, Lindbergh wrote part of his book, The Spirit of St. Louis while his wife Anne wrote The Steep Ascent. The Lindberghs used this trailer for 15 years, travelling to 37 states and Ontario, Canada.

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Tech of the past: Wood Electric Truck

This 1900 Wood electric truck was used to make stock runs between a warehouse and distribution center for B. Altman & Company in New York City. Altman owned 12 such vehicles. This truck had a 20-30 mile recharge range and could travel at 10 mph, which made it able to compete with horse-drawn wagons.

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Tech of the past: Willys-Overland Jeep

The original Jeep, made by Willys-Overland. This model is a 1943 World War II model. Jeeps were especially useful in the war because they could tow artillery, move the wounded, and be fitted with a machine gun, among other things.

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Tech of the past: Kennedy Car

One of the most famous cars in all of history, this 1961 Lincoln is the one in which John F. Kenndy was shot (unless you live in the alternate reality created by Jake Epping in 11/22/63). Most people probably believe that it was retired after that fateful day but, instead, it was used for another 14 years for presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter, albeit with some heavy modifications in 1964 and again in 1967 to make it safer for its passengers.

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Tech of the past: Cornell-Liberty Safety Car

Interesting statistic: By 1950, nearly 35,000 people died in auto accidents per year; therefore, many groups, especially insurance companies, were interested in building safer cars. Concept vehicles, such as this 1957 Cornell-Liberty Safety Car (Cornell University and Liberty Mutual Insurance), contained many ideas to improve the safety of the driver and passengers, especially small children. For example, in this car the driver sits in the center and, instead of a steering wheel, has a set of handlebars similar to a bicycle but with a padded center. As a matter of fact, nearly the entire cabin of this car is padded. Also, the smaller, rear-facing seat behind the driver is designed for small children. Finally, the large, unbroken, wrap-around windshield reduced blindspots.

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Tech of the past: Cornell-Liberty Safety Car close-up

A close-up of the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car's driver seat and steering handles.

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Tech of the past: Wright Flyer replica

Now we move on to the museum's rather large section dedicated to flight. The centerpiece of the collection is a replica 1903 Wright Flyer built for the 100th anniversary of their first flight.

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Tech of the past: Curtiss JN 4-D

Flight technology advanced fast -- so fast, in fact, that by World War I planes were a common combat device. After the war, many American pilots returned home and found jobs stunt flying at fairs, circuses, and carnivals. This 1917 Curtiss JN 4-D "Canuck" plane was used for such "Barnstormer" shows.

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Tech of the Past: Ford Flivver

In the 1920s, Henry Ford even got in on the action with his Ford Flivver (a 1926 model is shown here), which was called the "Model T of the Sky." While this plane was expected to give everyone the ability to fly, instead the relative lower safety and higher cost of flying kept it from becoming a reality.

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Tech of the past: Fokker F-VII

This 1925 Fokker F-VII "Trimotor" was used in the Byrd Arctic Expedition, which was funded by Edsel Ford. The large FOKKER painted on the wings and fuselage were Tony Fokker's way to make sure everyone knew this plane was not a Ford.

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Tech of the past: Tin Goose

Henry Ford's second attempt at aircraft design, the Tin Goose, was the first really successful all-metal aircraft. The corrugated metal plating was a massive improvement to the structural integrity of the craft.

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Tech of the past: DC-3

This Douglas DC-3 flies over one of the entrances to the Adventures in Flight exhibit.

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Tech of the 9ast: Vought Sikorsky VS-300A

A little-known fact: Helicopters were more difficult to develop than airplanes. This 1939 Vought Sikorsky VS-300A was able to fly backward, side-to-side, up and down, and spin around but could not fly forward. The next model by Sikorsky was able to fly forward, however.

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Tech of the past: Detroit News Heliplane

Even the Detroit News got in on the action by using this heliplane -- it offered the convenience of hovering with the efficiency of linear flight.

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Tech of the past: Boeing 40 Cabin

Early aircraft did not have the comforts and space of modern aircraft. This exhibit shows the relative sizes of early aircraft cabins compared to a modern-day Boeing 747. This Boeing 40 cabin really is as small as it looks -- I'd have to crawl to move around in it.

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Tech of the past: Ford Trimotor Cabin

The Ford Trimotor cabin at least allowed you to sit upright, as long as you didn't mind sitting in your grandma's armchair.

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Tech of the past: DC-3 Cabin

A little closer to modern, the DC-3 cabin had a reasonable ceiling height and included some of the first overhead bins.

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Tech of the past: Kitchens by era

The Henry Ford museum doesn't just focus on transportation; it also has sections on slavery and freedom, furniture, and home arts. This composite image is of a circular display showing the differences in a typical home's kitchen in colonial times all the way through the 1950s or so. There are plenty of changes in technology just in a kitchen over the years.

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Tech of the past: 1930's Living Room

In this three-wall replica of a typical 1930s living room, the display is set up to reenact the famous Orson Welles broadcast of "The War Of The Worlds" in 1938. Visitors can sit on the couch or in the armchairs and enjoy the broadcast.

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Tech of the past: '50s, '60s & '70s TVs

The advent of television in the 1950s changed the American living room, however. Instead of the radio being the centerpiece -- if anything -- now the television takes over. This display shows the evolution of the television set through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

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Tech of the past: Geodesic Dome

"Returning to the Land" was a common theme in the 1970s, especially among young people. It was a time of rejecting the current culture and oftentimes modern technologies to instead live off the land. Geodesic domes like this one were sometimes used as living structures by those wishing to escape mainstream society.

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Tech of the past: Dymaxion House

In the mid-century, there was also a flirtation with new construction materials, such as aluminum. This Dymaxion House is constructed mainly of aluminum and uses a circular shape (with a central core for utilities) as the basis for a house. Each room takes up a portion of the circle, but it feels very cramped from the inside.

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Tech of the past: Dymaxion House

Another view of the Dymaxion House showing curtained windows (with all those windows, some privacy would be nice), and the fin at the top where exhaust from the heating and other systems would vent.

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Tech of the past: 1960 McDonald's sign

This 1960 McDonald's sign has a few differences from the franchise's modern-day sign. 15 cents for a burger, for one. Also, the familiar over "X" sold is there, but it's only measured in the millions. Much like Henry Ford, the McDonald brothers' restaurant system in 1948 included an assembly-line production system that enabled them to sell their product for cheap. Milkshake machine salesman Ray Kroc recognized an opportunity and franchised the McDonald's concept in 1955.

Also seen here is part of a similar-era A&W restaurant sign.

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Tech of the past: Lamy's Diner

This fully functional 1946 diner serves a wide menu of items to museum visitors daily. Originally owned by Clovis Lamy after World War II, it was sold several times before being moved to the museum in 1984.

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Tech of the past: Traffic Light

The modern traffic light, with red, yellow, and green lights, was first used in Detroit. Originally, traffic lights only had red and green, but Detroit traffic officer William Potts added the amber light to warn drivers that the light was about to change red. This design, created in 1920, was standard across the country by the mid-1930s.

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Tech of the Past: Mowing Machine and Reaper

As American industry grew, it was more and more able to affect the existing farming industry. Machines such as these mid-to-late 19th century mowing machine (left) and reaper (right) were only possible when sufficiently advanced metal-working methods were created.

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Tech of the past: 1800s Screw Machine

This Screw Machine made screws and other turned parts during the late 1800s.

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Tech of the past: Glass Press, Paper-Ruling Machine, Printing Press

The machine in the immediate foreground is a Side-lever Glass Press used to make decorative glassware that looked like expensive cut or etched glass but was much less expensive.

Behind it is a Paper-Ruling Machine, which was used to make lined paper and accounting ledgers by printing the lines on the paper.

The Job Printing Press was invented to print small-size items such as business cards, forms, handbills, and menus.

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Tech of the past: Insulation braiding machine and brick-making machine

The large green machine was a brick-making machine that used technology similar to the Play-Doh Fun Factory to mold bricks, tiles, and ceramic blocks.

The machine in the glass case is an insulation braiding machine, which wound cotton thread around rubber-coated electrical wire to add a second layer of insulation.

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Tech of the past: Ingersoll Milling Machine

This Ingersoll Milling machine was designed specifically to shape the bottom of the Model T engine block, 15 at a time.

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