Steampunk poseurs need not apply! This is the real thing.

[Gewehr98]

We'll have none of this eye-candy Steampunk retro-BS.  There's nothing but real iron, fire and water doing the work here in Baraboo a couple weekends ago:



He's running a sawmill:



Just got a fresh tank of water, building up more steam:




More pics later.

[Manedwolf]

A company in the UK is making new repro ones from original plans. They're horrendously expensive, though. Six digits. But very cool.

[French G.]

Beautiful piece of equipment.

[coppertales]

I am a steam freak....I grew up when steam trains were still king.......chris3

[MillCreek]

I wonder if it is fired by coal or wood?

[Gewehr98]

The steam tractor running the sawmill was running on firewood.

I know because I took my 7 year-old nephew along for the day.  He stood there in awe as all these behemoths huffed and chuffed, with the ball governor on this one spinning, then listening to it load down as the saw took a big bite into yet another tree trunk. 

The owner saw this young boy standing there, asking me a blizzard of questions, and invited him to come on board and stoke the firebox with the split and stacked firewood seen in the hopper boxes at the cab end.  So that's exactly what they did, stoked the big fellow, closed the firebox door, and watched the steam pressure gauge as it dropped momentarily after he was allowed to pull the steam whistle chain for just a second or two.  I don't think I've seen a happier kid in a long time.  I can guarantee he'll call his uncle next summer to go do it all again, and I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[charby]

G-98

Very cool! I'll be at the Midwest Old Threshers and Settlers Reunion in Mt Pleasant, IA on Sunday. My father in law always does small gas engine displays but I like to hang around the steam areas. You can even take a steam school there in the spring and come back for the reunion and run one of the engines. Takes a lot more time to work your way up the the steam rail locomotive.

http://www.oldthreshers.com/

-Charby

[Perd Hapley]

The steam tractor running the sawmill was running on firewood.

I'll have another chance to split stove-wood for my Dad and his neighbor later on in the fall.  Can't wait. 

[Boomhauer]

I said on another thread that I wanted one of these bad boys so bad.

I've always liked the older tractors...

[burningsquirrels]

very cool! 

[280plus]

Time for another plug for Steamtown in Scranton, you HAVE to go when there is a workshop tour. Fascinating, provided you're fascinated by that stuff. 

Call them and ask about touring the workshop.

[freedom lover]

That's cool stuff. I've only ever seen hot air engines at my county fair. They have a whole area full of old farm equipment, a blacksmith shop, and a building with old rural exhibits, including a mechanic's area with an old Harley and a small block Model T four cylinder engine.