MTFCA Forum

I love where I live. Tonight an Amish neighbor stopped and asked if he could fill his steam engine with water when he goes by tomorrow evening. He is going a couple miles past my place to Amish Farm Days. You may remember last year. This year must be a different engine. Last years engine was not self propelled. They pulled it with a 29 JD. I was ribbing him about his modern tractor.
The sad part is I probably wont be home when he comes by with the steam tractor.

Just remember to leave him a bucket at the end of the driveway with a note telling him where the well is located. Leave a ladle also in case he needs a drink.

Oooohh.., you are living a dream Dallas in that community!

Right now, 316 people on this site are looking at real estate listings near you!
You are a lucky man indeed...

Yeh I'm one of 'em!!
So cool Dallas.

When we moved here 22 years ago, I had one Amish neighbor. Now they are everywhere around me. Great neighbors they are. They drive land value up when they move into an area. My place is worth 3 X what I paid. Its nice that at least 1/2 the vehicles going by my house are horse drawn. I will probably make it to Farm Days after noon tomorrow and will try to get some photos. Hope to get some of the steamer if Im home in time.

Dallas Landers wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:18 pm

My place is worth 3 X what I paid.

Just think how high the land values will be when you move out!

Thats funny, right there!!!

Thought we had an Amish drag race with the steamer and 29JD. Turns out they were side by side talking going down my road.

They did not need water but had to turn around in my driveway. They wanted to back the steam engine down the hill east of my house. Turn around at the bottom and drive up the next hill. It must have T brakes.

What a great day!

AWESOME is an understatement!!!!!! Thanks for posting Dallas!

Not something I see every day, even where I live.

Way too cool! I love steam engines.

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing. I wish we could see it all live.

The steam engine backing down hill and driving up hill has nothing to do with brakes and everything to do with keeping the boiler firebox crownsheet well covered with water. jb

Dallas Landers wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 17, 2021 6:49 pm

They did not need water but had to turn around in my driveway. They wanted to back the steam engine down the hill east of my house. Turn around at the bottom and drive up the next hill. It must have T brakes.

They were probably concerned about keeping the water level well over the top of the fire box. Otherwise, Steam traction engines work the same in forward as reverse (same gear ratio, etc).

Adam wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:00 am

Dallas Landers wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 17, 2021 6:49 pm

They did not need water but had to turn around in my driveway. They wanted to back the steam engine down the hill east of my house. Turn around at the bottom and drive up the next hill. It must have T brakes.

They were probably concerned about keeping the water level well over the top of the fire box. Otherwise, Steam traction engines work the same in forward as reverse (same gear ratio, etc).

At vista Ca. there is a threshing bee show for 2 weeks twice a year. There is a steep gully to cross. One year a steam engine blew up during the crossing. Something to do with water level hitting the hot tubes & sudden hi pressure steam. Serious carnage. The operator & possibly another died.

I would worry about boiler condition and owner/operator knowledge about it. A friend who was a state of Indiana boiler inspector said he wouldn't go near one that was operating for that reason. He said there are no inspections done on those boilers, and many had not had tubes replaced in years if ever. Even when they were new, boiler explosions were common, and killed many farmers.