Dromedary Express

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Dromedary Express was a series of passenger animal-powered quadricycles developed by Hamada Family Excursions from 1979 to 2005. The firm built successive models for its surfaced oasis circuits and put them into fare-paying service while development continued. The vehicles travelled at walking pace and carried two passengers in low, shaded seats.

At a stopped Dromedary Express, a worker locks the camel’s front sliding trays while two passengers climb into stepped seats beside the seated driver. — Boarding a Dromedary Express: a ground worker secures the camel’s front trays as passengers step into the raised seats behind the attendant.

The camel occupied the left side of the chassis, with four sliding foot trays linked to the driven axle. An attendant and two passengers sat one behind the other on the right, with each seat 20 cm higher than the one ahead to improve their views. Their feet rested in fixed, stepped footwells behind a guard separating them from the foot mechanisms. The attendant steered and braked from the front seat. Broad slings supported the camel beneath its trunk; its hump and neck carried no harness load. Boarding took place with the wheel brakes applied and the trays locked.

Human steering also appeared on the Elephantine freight quadricycle, whose riding elephant drove a walking belt while yard staff directed the timber load. The Capricorn tandem instead gave its front goat the steering and allowed either goat to brake; Hamada kept control with the attendant throughout passenger service.

The circuit routes were level and maintained for wheeled travel. Hamada used walking camels for dune excursions, where loose sand and slopes made the quadricycle unsuitable. The two-passenger model was also sold to other tour operators. Services remained confined to maintained circuits with supervised boarding and stops.

Dromedary Express

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