Diversification in the early years: gasogene boilers

Fabrication for own use not only included parts of weaving machines; it also involved the manufacture of ‘gasogene boilers’ for trucks under the name ‘Sabadell’. Fuel was scarce, but these boilers operated on coal, which produces a combustible gas on oxidation. Nevertheless, these power sources proved to be a source of nuisance rather than an energy supplier. The anthracite coal – generating limited amounts of ashes and smoke - had to be replaced by lower quality coal that produced a greasy smoke. As a result, the filter required daily cleaning or several cleanings a day when one was travelling large distances. In the end, a total of 6 gasogene boilers rolled off the production line. Production was stopped after the sixth boiler. However, despite the many disadvantages, the company did manage to sell a few boilers. In the city of Ypres the company Cornette drove a truck with a Sabadell boiler and in Woesten, one of them was used by Jules Govaert’s ‘Far West’ fruit nursery. A third boiler was installed on the Picanol truck. During a journey to Brussels, Gaston Liefooghe had to clean the filter three to four times. When he finally reached the capital after an 11 hour drive, he was as black as a miner! The memoires of Henri (Enrique) Ribot, who started working at Picañol in 1940, contain some additional information: ‘Expecting gasogene boilers to become hugely successful, Jaimé wanted to design a boiler for cars, so he ordered me to draw a small trailer that could be attached behind the car to transport coal, kindling and other materials. But demand for the product never took off and the trailer never left the drawing table.’

(photo: Henri Ribot – with glasses – and colleagues back in 1942. H. Ribot passed away in January 2011 – his memoirs were a thankful source for this blog).