Steam Show and Threshing Bee

[altivo]

More photos to follow. This panorama shows some of the antique steam powered tractors that were present. All are restored to working order, and were under power at the show. Typical age is about 100 years old, and they demonstrated their ability to perform various tasks, such as powering threshing equipment, corn shucking machines, and a stationary sawmill. A highlight of the event is a daily parade of equipment around the grounds. On the whole, I find the steam engines less noisy than "modern" gasoline or diesel power. They also have higher torque at low speed, and use a variety of inexpensive fuels. Disadvantages include greater skill required to operate and maintain them, and heavy air pollution from the exhaust of most of them. (Though the latter can be fixed more easily than the pollution from internal combustion, and steam engines that burn clean fuels such as hydrogen or corn ethanol could be built easily enough.)

[Click photo to enlarge.]