19th century London > Vision for a better city Various
alternatives to horse power were tested on London's streets
during the 19th century. Steam-powered road engines and trams
proved too heavy and damaged the roads. Stationary steam engines
were used to haul trams attached to a cable, but these were only
really effective on hills that were too steep for horses. There
were also experiments with trams driven by gas engines and
battery electric power, but neither was successfully developed.
Petrol engines were still primitive and unreliable in the 1890s.
In 1900 the reliable horse still dominated the streets of
London, but new technology was about to revolutionize road
transport.