Saw the following and thought all you steam enthusiasts may enjoy this video.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
The old boys were mighty ingenious back in the day. I always look at those rigs when I spot them at a fair.
Not exactly the same thing, but I remember granddaddy running a belt from a '30 or '31 Buick rear wheel to power a saw. A guy later convinced him to buy a stationary diesel engine, and it never did work as reliably as the Buick.
Belts were used well into the 50's. The twist in the belt reverses the direction of the drive pulley. The open belt is a hazard, if the belt come off it can also be dangerous. Early blower equipment used at the silo on the farm was belt driven. Eventually the belts went away, all was PTO (Power Take Off) driven with appropriate guards. Most threshing machines were belt driven. Working that close to an open saw blade is also dangerous.
I believe these steam tractors are more closely watched. Several years ago one came apart at an Ohio county fair.
Medina County Fair, Ohio 2001 Steam Tractor explosion.
The first steamer I fired was a 40 HP Case traction engine that my dad owned. I always enjoyed running it on the belt; but liked pulling a sawmill better than thrashing since the sawyer could really load the engine down and make it bark. Lots of fun...
