EDIT: To those that keep commenting that the weight box doesn't move! Believe it or not, the weight box does actually increase. Here's some evidence. First off, notice the sound of the tractor, it starts off quieter and smooth and eventually gets loud sharp barks by the end of the pull. That in itself is distinct evidence of a increasing load. Secondly, weight sleds don't just use the weight box to increase drag, they also have a mechanism that pulls the front of the sled down against the skid, raising the rear and transferring weight to the front. Last, and most visible, look @ 4:00, at the front of the sled is a large, black sprocket that starts turning. This is the sprocket that draws the weight up the sled. Why would it be letting the box back down if it never moved in the first place?
Yes, the box moves. Yes, the sled was functional. No, the sled was not made easy just for the steamer. It was on the exact same setup as it had been used minutes earlier for other professional class antique tractor pulls.
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Wow! The camera does not do this thing one bit of justice! This past weekend, we had the privilege of running a 16-48 Russell steam tractor, built ~1912, in a local tractor/sled pull. This was the first time the tractor had ever tried pulling a sled and it did not disappoint us! At ~105psi, it pulled 274.99ft at its top speed of 2.2mph. I do not know what the weight was on the sled but they didn't go easy on us. Even though this tractor weighs over 22,000lbs, we lifted the front end off the ground on another run! The pull was run by the Oregon Tractor Pullers and was held at Alan Schurman's "Schurman's Iron Ranch" in Ridgefield, Washington. Alan is also the owner of this steam engine and several others.
I have a couple more videos that I'll get up as I can.
25 сен 2015
