I'm trying to think up a list of steam powered machines that people find interesting, impressive, or fun, to see. There's a reason, but telling it might be a spoiler. Anyway, so far I have:
Steam locomotive
Steam tractor (traction engine)
Steam roller (road roller)
Steam shovel
Steamboat (stern wheeler)
Steamboat (side wheeler)
Fire engine
Donkey engine
Large stationary engine (industrial, public works/utilities)
"Utility engine" (wagon, or sledge mounted)
And two more that I believe exist almost exclusively in the UK:
Steam lorry/Steam wagon
Showman's engine
It looks like most of these could be considered vehicles (even the donkey engine can pull itself along), but that's not a requirement. (I find a steam powered stamp mill impressive, but I don't know if there are any left in operating condition. Also, in addition to the horse drawn type, there were a few self propelled fire engines, but I'm going to lump them together, unless there is a major public outcry. Heh.) I'd like to hear any suggestions for something I've left out.
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I've updated the list. The editor is still funky, but I've improved the formatting by inserting some html code.
There was a whole group of steam powered grain mill collector/restorers who used to show up to Trade Days in the tiny town of Trade, TN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PFekmL_Lh4
Steam calliopes like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVfqvcw8lrI and on many riverboats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEDNXNEmLj4
A grain mill. So that's what one of those is called. I got a free bag of corn meal ground up by one once at an antique machine show. It made good corn muffins.
I picked up a quantity of buckwheat at Trade Days. Much better than most store bought buckwheat which feels like eating sand.
The steam powered K Class Submarine aka "Kalamity Class" British submarine.
Apparently the reason for a steam powered submarine was that it was the only power source in 1913 that would allow a submarine to keep up with the fleet. Oddly, it did not have a conventional fuel tank. The open bottomed tank just counted on the fuel oil being lighter than water. Otherwise, anything that could go wrong did to this unlucky class of submarine.
Wow! These sound like something Gerry Anderson would be proud of! Retracting funnels! Still a bit slower than Stringray, though. Heh.
steam planes. The Besler steamplane (A travelair 2000 converted from a Curtiss OX powerplant) It had an estimated range of 400 miles on a full tank of fuel, although operating at altitude was intended to increase range due to the lower boiling point of steam. granted its not exactly Victorian, but it is steampowered
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