Steampunks

I've mentioned the group Roots of Motive Power before, and how they were steampunks long before today's young steampunks named themselves steampunks. I clearly love the word "steampunk". These guys here in Willits love to make big rail engines work, usually involving steam, and all the rail cars that go with them. They had their Christmas season steam-up on Sunday, featuring free rides around the loop track in a caboose or on a speeder (I did both!). I got so many photos, I couldn't make up my mind which one to lead with today, so I'll put a few more on my Overflow blog.

BaldwinEmblemSteam Jigsaw Puzzle

Roots of Motive Power Steam Up #6: The Best Tractor

This 19th century beauty is as tall as the giant modern-day harvesters, but was used in some logging operations in the 1880s. The rear wheel is about six feet in diameter, and the trolley cradling a log has wheels even larger. The demonstration log is a fraction of the size of the trees this would have been removing from the virgin redwood forests.



More photos of this monster are on my Overflow blog. This post is dedicated to Wayne of Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Roots of Motive Power Steam Up #5: Speeders

These little vehicles are another favorite at the annual Steam Up, and I think some are called "speeders" while others are called "hand cars", and some speeders have covered cabs for weathering the elements. There are clubs for speeder hobbyists who arrange rail excursions together, by prior arrangement with rail operators. Originally, most of these were used for maintenance work on the rails. This orange one has wooden handles on each end for two people to lift it on or off the rails. A Roots volunteer explained its operation and history to a visitor, then powered up its noisy gasoline motor, and sped off to tour the loop track. Others were powered with human muscle alone. Perhaps you've seen the classic lever pump varieties in old movies and cartoons. In fact, you can check out Kermit the Frog, or Buster Keaton on my Overflow blog.

Roots of Motive Power Steam Up #4: Steam Roller

This vehicle is one of my favorites at the annual Roots Steam Up: the Buffalo Springfield steam roller. As usual, I took so many pictures of it, it was hard to decide which to feature on the blog. Here, you can see the wood-fueled fire that heats the boiler, through the little air vent on the side. Go to my Overflow blog to see full views of this snazzy classic.

Even today, when I see pavement rollers flattening asphalt on roads, I call them steam rollers, although the modern ones have been powered by petroleum for decades. I hear even younger people use the term "to be steam-rolled" as a figure of speech, denoting being crushed under the will of another person or institution, especially in negotiations. I wonder if they even know about the original equipment? The current Wikipedia article takes a British look at the machines.

Roots of Motive Power Steam Up #3: Maytag Washer

While larger equipment puffed away at the museum and Roots grounds, across the street in Recreation Grove, small engine club members displayed their operational antique gasoline powered gadgets. One of my favorites was this 1926 Maytag clothes washer, enthusiastically agitating a garment or two with the power of petroleum.

I seem to have washed away whatever was ailing my computer. Not sure which step did the trick, but I should probably take out the trash more regularly.

Roots of Motive Power Steam Up #2: Ranch Car

While the heart of Roots of Motive Power activities come from steam engine restoration and operation, they attend to many other details of railway history. One of my favorites to see is this Great Northern Railroad Ranch Car, from the Empire Builder trains of the 1950s. Bobbie Yokum wrote a fascinating history of this car for the Roots website, and is a key volunteer getting the restoration done. One of her huge projects is getting all thirteen counter seats restored with cowhide style upholstery. The first one is in, and looks great. Read her description of how this gem ended up on the Roots campus.

To see some other rail equipment interiors, click here for the Overflow.

Annual Roots of Motive Power Steam-Up Weekend

Starting as a handful of volunteers helping the County Museum repair and operate old machines, Roots of Motive Power has flourished into an independent non-profit of enthusiastic men and women with a vast collection of antique steam, diesel, and gas powered machinery of every description. Most of it, however, is directly related to the railroading and logging industries of the local area. Years of planning and hard work resulted in a fine restoration shed and work yard, along with a completed loop track for testing and demonstrating the restored railcars and locomotives they work so hard on. The weekend after Labor Day always sees the greatest participation and variety of all their events through the year. In the photo above, volunteers prepare a diesel locomotive for a day of pulling industrial flat cars, and a caboose full of eager riders, around the loop.

I have loads of photos from this event, and will intermittently post some as a series, along with liberal use of my Overflow blog. You can also see plenty of photos on the Roots website linked above.