Muscle Machines, The Steam Age

Nick - you may find this of interest.  It was called a "steam horse locomotive" and was designed for Santa Clara, California to get around a town ordnance that forbade machines that frightened the horses.  It was intended to use a steam rotary engine, but never got past the design stage.  It had a bell mounted on the head, however, since that would have been a requirement for all locomotives.



Incidentally, here is  pair of steam tractors hauling a wagon train across the Mojave Desert - hardly where you would expect to find them being used due to the fuel and water requirements!




Edited by Mountain Man - 17-Aug-2012 at 20:40

Nick - are you familiar with Steam Punk?

Here is a steam-powered corkscrew:




Edited by Mountain Man - 19-Aug-2012 at 14:38

Most people saw a prime example of steam punk and never recognized it in Back To The Future III - Doc Brown's ice cube maker in his blacksmith shop.  

Quite true, although I prefer the motorcycle built with a radial aircraft engine, myself. 

How many people do you suppose realize that a nuclear aircraft carrier is still a steam ship?  




Edited by Mountain Man - 21-Aug-2012 at 11:45

More interestingly, so are nuclear submarines.  The only thing the nuclear reactor does is provide a more efficient way to heat water into steam.

Of course, that "efficiency" comes with a prohibitively hefty technological price tag.

Jay Leno has one of those that works, IIRC.  He also has two stationary steam engines.

Edited by Mountain Man - 25-Aug-2012 at 17:43

Nice! I want one! 

Edited by Mountain Man - 28-Aug-2012 at 16:17

Another common type of prewar steam lorry