The Craigievar Express is a steam-powered tricycle built by Andrew 'Postie' Lawson between 1895 and 1897 in Craigievar, Scotland.[1] The vehicle's frame is made from wood, as are its wheels.[1][2] The engine is a single-cylinder model and was purchased second hand from a sawmill.[1] The Express's boiler was obtained through Exchange and Mart.[1] The flywheel brake acted on the engine, and following the principles of the horse-carriage braking system (brake shoes attached to a lever) another was applied to the rims of the back wheels.[1]
The Express steamed for the first time on 26 June 1897.[1] After that Lawson would drive it at local festivals.[3] He had ceased using the Express by 1934 and died in 1938.[3][4]
The Craigievar Express was then sold to a man from Aberdeen before later being repurchased by Andrew Lawson's son James.[4] James carried out some restoration on the Express before transferring it to William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill.[4] The Express was then steamed at various events.[4] With Lord Sempill's death in 1965, his widow sold the vehicle to Maurice Smith, a Surrey-based car historian.[2][5][6] Smith carried out further restoration work and obtained a MOT certificate for the vehicle.[5][6] In 1971 Maurice Smith completed the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run with the Craigievar Express.[7][8]
