# Steam tractors



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey if it's post-grid after the chinese / allied WW3 reduces the world to sticks and stones these guys will still be in action. there's quite a few left working these days they were built to last.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Cool, but I'll stick with my 1940 9N Ford. It runs on gasoline others die on.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

there were some old fords there definitely.


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## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

I can barely keep up with the ranch chores around here with modern diesel tractors. I don’t think I could survive with steam tractors. At that point, I would go back to horses.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

@Leon was the reason I came to this site. He had posted some interesting things about foraging. Now, he is a yarn-spinner/director for the movie industry in Georgia. How cool is that?


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

My father hand built a scale model return flue minneapolis steam engine. bought a boiler, made the wheels and differential from scratch etc. I think back and am amazed at how much he knew. We went to steam shows sometimes bringing what he built. A big show was in Manitoba, some massive stuff there, guy riding on the carriage sawing lumber. For a kid 15 yrs old this was outstanding. Always wanted to build one myself, have a scale model that I can drive around the kitchen floor. He was an Iron worker out of Milwaukee and had machine shop tools to do it. Wished to hell I'd have paid closer attention. Good memories.....Thanks!


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Return flue means the smoke stack is at the back, not in the front as is pictured in old western movies.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Just FYI, steam has twice the power of gas, gives power on each forward and back stroke of the piston. All you really need is wood and water to run it. Ok, my dad was a steam nut, some of it rubbed off on me.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I'll bet most folks have never seen or heard of a gas powered washing machine motor. You got me on a roll now! Maytag made them , believe it or not.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Gosh, I have to quit now, been a long time but missing him.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Most don't get it when stuff like that was used not much was really done by one person. Today a few people farm 1,000's of acres . Lot of old tractors kept around here. Many shows every year. My older JD was a 1960's gave it to daughter and son in law he still uses it all of the time. Up until father in law died we still used a 1940 Case loader on the farm. 
Still cool to see the tractors and understand how we got where we are


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Not sure what year tractor it was we had, but had no electric starter, had a fly-wheel you spun to start it. JD "B" I think. Used to watch them at tractor pulls , pop...pop...pop, must have had a stroke as long as your arm. Think they were real popular in the day.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

@ leon, thanks for the thread, had it up to my ears with covid crap and cop bashing.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Denton said:


> @Leon was the reason I came to this site. He had posted some interesting things about foraging. Now, he is a yarn-spinner/director for the movie industry in Georgia. How cool is that?


Leon is the Harvey Weinstein of Georgia? Who wudda figured, huh?


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Years from now young folks will be remembering about when the first smart phone came out. 
Actually kinda a sad thought.


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

1skrewsloose said:


> Years from now young folks will be remembering about when the first smart phone came out.
> Actually kinda a sad thought.


Meanwhile, as an old fart, *I'M* remembering the first Commadore 64 and "Trash 80" from Radio Shack. Atari Asteroids and "Pong" as well.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Wow, at that time we were thinking this is cool stuff, how could it get any better? I used to go to the local bowling alley and play pong for hours.

Kids nowadays would be bored to death.


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

1skrewsloose said:


> Wow, at that time we were thinking this is cool stuff, how could it get any better? I used to go to the local bowling alley and play pong for hours.
> 
> Kids nowadays would be bored to death.


Yeah, but I was a wizard at "Missile Command" at the local 7-11 LOL.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Starting to feel like I'm at the watering hole shooting the bull! I like it!!


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> I'll bet most folks have never seen or heard of a gas powered washing machine motor. You got me on a roll now! Maytag made them , believe it or not.


Hah! yes I have seen them!

Foot pedal to start it, used a vertical plunger for agitation.

Roller wringer powered by hand.

My mother had one!!!!

Remember I am old.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I love steam engines and anything they power.

I spent over two years driving around the farmlands of this state looking for any type to buy.

That search included old granite walled buildings for a stationary one, even at this age I would love to get one.

Most were out of commission due to electric motors, but in some places steam drove the generators or dynamos.

When WW2 came along most went to the war effort.

Would even have like a triple expansion engine.

I really wanted a horizontal engine to build a generator for here out of it.

But that was over 40 years ago, had the source the to get most of the boiler built, finishing it myself.

That was a prepper goal.

Never would have run of fuel, coal, wood and the lake's peat.

As a side benefit, could have used the exhausted steam to heat the place.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Gosh, now folks will know how ancient we are.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I'll have to search triple expansion, seen double but not triple.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I look at plans and pictures of different ones even today and think of building one in the shop, but I know I would never live to finish it.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

What intrigues me is the simplicity yet how intricate they are. The timing of all these things working together before computers, the genius of those people.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> I'll have to search triple expansion, seen double but not triple.


The WW2 Liberty ships were powered by a triple expansion engine.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Talk about massive and torque, holy shit! The reciprocating weight!!!


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I still have some old magazines lying around, Iron man magazine? Really like looking thru them, even though I've looked at them hundreds of times. I'll have to look in my old foot locker to get the name right.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Some steam engine trains could reach 100 mph.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

One of the most powerful locomotives ever built was steam powered and constructed nearby in Altoona PA. Almost 8000 HP! The largest Diesel-electrics built today are around 5500 HP.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Good God!! That must have been a monster!!!


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Smitty901 said:


> Some steam engine trains could reach 100 mph.


Some were fast, but the raw horsepower generated is mind boggling.

Look at the UP 4014, largest and most powerful of all of the UP RR engines @ 7,000 hp.

They were built at just the right time (coincidence???) for WW2 to haul hundreds of tons of war material to the west coast.

going over the Sierra and Rocky mountain ranges with the load.

If you ever look at the photos of trains hauling the armor, most likely it was with one of the 4-88-4s doing the job long haul.

I worked with a company on engineering for what is known as a fluidized bed for a burner/firebox in the steam plant,

it was being considered for a new class of steam engine in the 80s to reduce dependency on imported diesel for trains.

This was done for national security reasons.

It was to burn low grade coal (lignite, sub bituminous) ground to the consistency of talcum powder,

mixed with what is commonly referred to as bunker oil, thinned by steam heat and injected into the firebox bed.

In essence similar to a diesel injector without the cylinder, I designed and built the injector nozzles,

a whole bunch of different ones dependent on fuel composition.

Those nozzles were from the size of a "D" cell to the size of a 16 oz. can of beans.

Steam and the mechanics that go with it have an undying fascination with me.

I don't know how many know it , but what you see coming out of an engine stack is not all smoke,

80% of it is steam on modern engines, it is the used steam from the cylinders,

it is piped into the center of the stack to create a vacuum over the bed and boiler tubes, working on

the Bernoulli principle, drawing the effluent to a higher velocity and temp.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)




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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Hawg, if you did not know it, that flywheel on the side is the PTO, you had to throw the leather belt on it while it was turning.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> Hawg, if you did not know it, that flywheel on the side is the PTO, you had to throw the leather belt on it while it was turning.


Watch your fingers and no loose clothing:vs_whistle:

Many of grist mill was run off leather belts too. Steam has always fascinated me being a high temperature hot water boiler-man for durn near 40 years.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've seen it done many times, good thing no OSHA at the time.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I have done it myself, have relaced belts also.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Done the same, when I think back on it, what a hairy situation! Accident waiting to happen? No 911 back then, if your arm got tore off too bad.

Yes, to hear that slap everytime the belt went around.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> Done the same, when I think back on it, what a hairy situation! Accident waiting to happen?


Me? Never gave it a thought.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

At the time I didn't either, but looking back at things I've done I wonder how I lived so long.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> At the time I didn't either, but looking back at things I've done I wonder how I lived so long.


Same here, when I think of all the things I shudder and shake my head.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)




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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

hawgrider said:


>


Quite the beast!


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

That is some cool stuff, when I was at the show in Manitoba an engine pulled a 24 bottom with a man at every station making adjustments during the show. Really fascinating to see when compared to today when everything can be controlled from the cab. I've got the itch again, have to see if there's a show close by.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've made light of the fact that folks have their nose stuck in their phone taking pix, wish I had more pix of a lot of stuff. Regrets, such is life.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

I saw a steam tractor pull once.smoky it was.noisy too.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Wow, to hear the clunk and lumbering stride of those machines is music to me. Make sure if you go to a show to wear an old hat, soot and sparks will be everywhere!


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Stack of bibles, if you go to a show that has big machines you will feel the ground move when they are rolling. First time I experienced it made hair stand up on my neck.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> Stack of bibles, if you go to a show that has big machines you will feel the ground move when they are rolling. First time I experienced it made hair stand up on my neck.


Yeah, but, there is nothing like standing 6 feet from a P-51 with a fire extinguisher during startup.

That is an experience, let me tell you, cracking the throttle to taxi jells your blood.

Would have given anyone's right arm but mine to fly one of those mustangs.

There is nothing like the sound of a Packard built Merlin engine, a DB-605 sounds like a sewing machine by comparison.

The guy that owned the one I speak of, killed himself in it doing a snap roll 50 of the ground on Cape Cod.

The closest I ever got was about 6 hours in an AT-6.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I would loved to have experienced that!! Being in the presence of that much raw power! The closest I ever got and not totally sure, due to it was a long time ago, my brother took me to Union Grove to watch the drags. One car with a 12 cyl motor(airplane I think) left the line and talk about feeling the earth move!!!, I'll never forget it!! I tend to get worked up over any machine that produces enough power to change your physical environment.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

SOCOM42 said:


> Same here, when I think of all the things I shudder and shake my head.


Thinking of this, survived a 100 MPH aircraft crash that I was flying,

survived losing two engines on final approach over the city in another incident,

Almost lost another to icing, five mile glide to a runway dead stick,

prop ice was shaking the engine apart.

And a few firefights and other not so exciting but just as deadly things.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I can only surmise from reading of yours and knowing my experiences that the Good Lord had other plans for us! If He would only let me know what that was!

Maybe I/we are doing what He is asking and don't know it.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

1skrewsloose said:


> Stack of bibles, if you go to a show that has big machines you will feel the ground move when they are rolling. First time I experienced it made hair stand up on my neck.


I said it in my video that girl Ada throttled up that engine and you could feel the piston slamming back and forth under your feet at thirty yards. Hair raising. The sheer amount of whirling metal and gears is unreal. any given part on those things would take a team of men to do anything to it. Even the steering wheel was made of like 40lbs of cast iron.


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