I love when someone is ballsy enough to put these historical treasures under load! They were not built for putzing through the show grounds, built to work! Just... don't break it unless you can fix it.
this engine was not designed for pulling it was only 15-25hp at best this model was designed for belt work. it was self propelled only for maneuvering into position. my grandpa was a steam engine mechanic and i have his repair books. he was the mechanic for the threshing crew in my hometown area until the 30s when combines were introduced into the area. i have the picture taken with the crew posing in front of the engine and threshing machine for the last time sept 1939
He's operating it properly. It depends on how much steam pressure the boiler is inspected for.an engine that size only ran on 120 lbs of steam from new.
This looks like it was taken at the Steamorama in Windsor Pa, if so that hill is a lot steeper than this video makes it look. I've got some old video of two tractors going up back to back about 10feet apart. Unfortunately it's on VHS and I don't have a way to convert.
He must not be doing something right. There are videos of steam traction engines doing things that require FAR more torque than it should require to get that tractor up a mildly sloping section of hill.
Most times on engines this old when the boilers were designed for 125-100 psi pressure when new, because the iron is so old they run them at only 75-80 psi and adjust the pressure relief valve accordingly for extra safety. Ordinarily these old engines would climb any steep grade effortlessly because they were built for pulling plows through heavy soil.
I am afraid the driver should have noticed that he chose to climb the steepest point against gravity. All he needed to do is to move to his right all the way and use the right side of the road which has less steep angles to climb. The shortest way was in fact the steepest at the corner. the longer way on the outside of the curve was much less steep..
Its not being operated right. The exhaust steam should vent through the chimney. Instead it exiting through the cylinder drain cocks. He needs to close the cocks and operate is normally. The pressure is not being used to the full.
@marty264 True, I know little about boilers/steam. I do know about when they blow up. July 29, 2001, Medena County Fair Grounds, Ohio. There is no one left in the State of Ohio who knows anything about traction's engines. When a Case 110 blew up, the core of the State's hobbyist were huddled around it. It's three operators and six others were simply blown to bits. Investigators had to be brought in from surrounding States to determine cause. They're rolling shrapnel bombs when things go wrong.
This is yet another task this machine wasn't designed for. Had the boiler exploded during this demonstration, the driver, the men women and children standing in the background would have been eviscerated. There are purpose built bombs that are not as effective as a boiler explosion. This machine is nearly 150 years old. How much do you think it can take?
When she stops on the incline and vents steam, is that through a automatic pressure release valve? When I was a kid, a friend of ours in South Jersey had one of these. He also had a Stanley Steamer too. Hell with Al Gore - Steam rules!
@Fox Harbor Archers You can go up a hill backwards, it is as I said in another reply, dependent on how much water is in the boiler, granted this may be harder to do with this boiler as it is not a tapered boiler, but it is still possible.
@Polybun You know it was the crown sheet that failed at The Madena Fair Grounds 110 Case Explosion. Crown sheet completely exposed. Surely you would agree, they shouldn't be raced across the fair grounds or in pull offs. Hill climbing probably isn't such a great idea either. These are antiques. I think we have to step away and think about some of the reasons we replaced this technology in the first place.
Right. Didn't think that far. Grip wise and weight distribution wise it probably would've been better though.... and about there I stopped thinking. :P
@MrKmoconne. If you had enough water in the boiler this would not happen, adequate water level would prevent the crown sheet from being uncovered, locomotives At Cass Scenic Railroad are run backwards up hill every day without a problem.
hes not using the right pressure to go up that hill. hes using to much volume and not enough pressure. my family had a 1890s steam engines and it was at 40 hp we got it climb hills much steeper than that its all in knowing ur equipment. and yes we used it quite alot we even pull the neighbors semi out with it once.
@IFlick @IFlick There are tons of steam hobbyists in Ohio, they have one of the largest steam shows every year. It wasn't the core of the Ohio hobby around the Medina 110 either, the 5 victims were the owner, his son, and three friends. Incompetence is the only danger with a steam engine. The crown sheet certainly isn't going to be exposed during a hill climb. The reason steam engines were replaced was economy. It is much cheaper to run gasoline/diesel tractors.
@IFlick There are tons of steam hobbyists in Ohio, they have one of the largest steam shows every year. It wasn't the core of the Ohio hobby around the Medina 110 either, the 5 victims were the owner, his son, and three friends. Incompetence is the only danger with a steam engine. The crown sheet certainly isn't going to be exposed during a hill climb. The reason steam engines were replaced was economy. It is much cheaper to run gasoline/diesel tractors.
***** The boiler is at max pressure it's dumping steam out the safety valve. He needs more weight on the front because the front wheels are lifting every time he tries. And a good fireman doesn't make smoke, that's a good fire.
are you kidding me? a steam traction engine of this size scan make 1700 pound feet of torque. The most a gasoline tractor could make is 400 pound feet. if it weighed the same as this steamer, it wouldn't eve be able to make it up your driveway.
+Marcius JV It's 10 hp at like five RPM. which means it makes TONS of torque. Which in a tractor is what counts. By my calculations, at 20 rpm (rough estimate) this thing produces around 600 lb/ft of torque. But yes, a very heavy machine.
Medium sized ones should be able to pull 25000 kg on a sledge. This one might have some mechanical troubles, and seems like the cylinder water wastegate has been left open
dallatorretdu Does it loose that much power from leaving the drains open? It almost flips so I think the video must be deceptive and hill is much steeper than it looks. He needs to add weight to the front somehow to safely climb it.
***** It's not lacking steam it's at maximum rated pressure, as indicated by the pressure relief valve opening periodically dumping steam pressure. He must have been going slow because he didn't want the front wheels to lift, and they did lift when he gave it a bit more steam.
