Working rail roads and their tracks.

[BrokenTrack]

Only semi-related, but this is a tractor site, so I thought I would mention if anyone on here likes steam AND tractors, every year in Bradley, Maine at Maine Heritage Days they fire up an old Steam Lombard Log Hauler and not only give rides to the public on it, but let the public drive it. I got that opportunity, and it was neat to be able to say I drove an old steam driven bulldozer.

This was not just an opportunity I had though, anyone can do it. They used taxpayer money to rebuild the Lombard Log Hauler so they believe it is available for the public to enjoy with rides and driving it.

As a side note, I was taking classes to get my high pressure steam boiler license until Covid 19 hit. :thumbdown:

 

[RoyJackson]

Only semi-related, but this is a tractor site, so I thought I would mention if anyone on here likes steam AND tractors, every year in Bradley, Maine at Maine Heritage Days they fire up an old Steam Lombard Log Hauler and not only give rides to the public on it, but let the public drive it. I got that opportunity, and it was neat to be able to say I drove an old steam driven bulldozer.

This was not just an opportunity I had though, anyone can do it. They used taxpayer money to rebuild the Lombard Log Hauler so they believe it is available for the public to enjoy with rides and driving it.

As a side note, I was taking classes to get my high pressure steam boiler license until Covid 19 hit. :thumbdown:

No power steering on that machine!
If that picture is of you driving, what's it like to sterr that tractor?

 

[BrokenTrack]

No power steering on that machine!
If that picture is of you driving, what's it like to sterr that tractor?

That is me steering the tractor in the photos.

Steering it is actually challenging. The first reason is because there is incredible bump-steer to it. If those steel wheels hit a modest sized rock, it will jar the wheels this way and that, which must be corrected for.

But the second reason is the gearing. It has 4 to 1 gearing so you must crank the wheel all the way around a lot, just to get a little movement of the axle wheels. In other words, you have to start steering several seconds before you actually want to steer. Fortunately, there is no fear of Tokyo-Drifting with one of these, so it is not like you have to correct for a heavy skid into a turn!:laughing:

 

[5030]

That is me steering the tractor in the photos.

Steering it is actually challenging. The first reason is because there is incredible bump-steer to it. If those steel wheels hit a modest sized rock, it will jar the wheels this way and that, which must be corrected for.

But the second reason is the gearing. It has 4 to 1 gearing so you must crank the wheel all the way around a lot, just to get a little movement of the axle wheels. In other words, you have to start steering several seconds before you actually want to steer. Fortunately, there is no fear of Tokyo-Drifting with one of these, so it is not like you have to correct for a heavy skid into a turn!:laughing:

Looks like fun....not. Better to be the fireman, less physical. Is that you dad net to you?

 

[5030]

Here, anything above 45 psi is considered high pressure.

Thought I changed my forum picture recently, I did have a Hurst Scotch Back high pressure biomass boiler as a picture for years. Place I retired from used it for heat and the steam was used in stainless HX's to heat the acid tanks on their pickle line (steel)

I got to fiddle with it quite a bit when I was there, mostly shoveling out ashes....lol

150 horsepower (SAE) rated. Burned 3 ton of biomass per hour at full tilt which is was most of the time. All the local tree removal companies loved us.

Very clean unit too. Had it's own electrostatic precipitator and bag house. Nothing left the stack except a bit of heat, though you could always smell the wood burning.

All computer controlled so it was basically a remote operation.

 

[MossRoad]

I got to attend a one day class on steam safety for my employer a couple years ago because we have steam heat in a few buildings and they wanted us to be aware of potential problems so we could report them if we noticed. They showed us several horror films after the opening remarks. That was an eye opener. Amazing stuff.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Looks like fun....not. Better to be the fireman, less physical. Is that you dad net to you?

No, that is the Boiler Operator since they must have a licensed boiler operator on site for its operation, just like any high pressure steam boiler.

 

[Hay Dude]

Took a couple pics walking in from deer hunting.

 

[bcp]

Took a couple pics walking in from deer hunting.

Here's an 1895 map you can zoom in on.

Rail road map of Pennsylvania published by the Department of Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania, 1895. | Library of Congress

Bruce

 

[MossRoad]

Took a couple pics walking in from deer hunting.

If only those rails could talk... :thumbsup: