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Is THIS the original Segway?


jethrofloyd

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Is THIS the original Segway? Black-and-white photo shows silent movie actor Buster Keaton riding a crude version of the device in the 1920s  

 

Since its launch in the early Noughties, the Segway has gone on to become one of the most successful forms of novelty transport in recent years.

The two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle is now used for everything from airport police to tourism tours and off-roading. 


 
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The 'vehicle' is not shown in its entirety and clearly would not have worked as a two-wheeler. The two wheels shown clearly are not driven, therefore if it is any form of self-propelled vehicle, it must have had more wheels if only to balance it.

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Quite a stretch.   I don't know for certain what he is standing on.   But it is not self propelled.   Maybe it is a prop.  

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Looks like something that was originally made to ride on the railroad. 

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Needs more Chimpanzee. (Thumbs up if you get the reference) 

Edited by AustinHinton
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Just now, AustinHinton said:

Needs more Chimpanzee. 

I dont know what that means but its just random enough i might be stealing it for further use. 

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Just now, Farmer77 said:

I dont know what that means but its just random enough i might be stealing it for further use. 

It was a reference to the "Chimpanzee riding on a Segway" song. Lol. 

 

But out this thing really does look more like some kind of railroad device. 

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How does the steering work on that contraption?

Either there's wheels under the platform or it's missing 

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Looking more closely It's clear that this is a four-wheeled vehicle. If you look through the rider's legs, the spokes of the right rear wheel are visible, while the left rear simply does not enter the frame. These are normal car wheels of the period and I doubt that this is anything derived from a rail vehicle. @Mangoze, the entire steering system is clearly on view and its operation should be obvious.

If this contraption ever made it into a film, there may be some video of it somewhere.

 

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On 7/24/2016 at 6:11 AM, Inn Spectre said:

Looking more closely It's clear that this is a four-wheeled vehicle. If you look through the rider's legs, the spokes of the right rear wheel are visible, while the left rear simply does not enter the frame. These are normal car wheels of the period and I doubt that this is anything derived from a rail vehicle. @Mangoze, the entire steering system is clearly on view and its operation should be obvious.

If this contraption ever made it into a film, there may be some video of it somewhere.

 

Very true.  I suspected there were more wheels.  My eyes weren't drawn to looking between his legs.

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