Steam Powered Tractor.

L.Fure · Dec 4, 2015

Found this on youtube and thought I'd share it here. I wonder how many of these tractors were built?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG2mBu3pxVo

rrlund · Dec 4, 2015

That's different.

jimg.allentown · Dec 4, 2015

I wonder why it has that big radiator in front? Just for appearance? Or was it converted from a gas or kerosene engine??

Deere Mark · Dec 4, 2015

AD Baker of Ohio also made a "modern" steam tractor. May have been one of the Bryan tractors and one of the Baker tractors at the Henry Ford museum at one time. The radiator at the front of the tractor is used to condense the steam. Water does not have to be constantly replaced as with a conventional locomotive style boiler traction engine (which exhausts the steam to the atmosphere).

ohiojim · Dec 4, 2015

i was wondering about the radiator also ??????

Spook · Dec 4, 2015

Interesting, there was little smoke, and very little noise. You could hear the mechanical noise of the machine!

Steve@Advance · Dec 4, 2015

AD, I thought the same, that it was condensing the treated water and rerunning it, but it appears to be exhausting the steam underneath... Possibly it has been bypassed?

I saw a documentary about a steam excavator, one of the last steam powered machines, possibly was in a country with only wood to burn. It used small steam servos at each point where power was needed. Small, high speed piston engines, geared for torque. Thinking that is the theory on this tractor, from the rate of exhaust puffing looks faster than the usual steam engine.

Is the round tank on back is for propane? That would explain no smoke.

John M · Dec 4, 2015

Comments say its a condenser....

1948CaseVAI · Dec 4, 2015

In the notes under the video the owner just says the "thing" on the front is a "condenser."

L.Fure · Dec 4, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:12:45 12/04/15) AD, I thought the same, that it was condensing the treated water and rerunning it, but it appears to be exhausting the steam underneath... Possibly it has been bypassed?

I saw a documentary about a steam excavator, one of the last steam powered machines, possibly was in a country with only wood to burn. It used small steam servos at each point where power was needed. Small, high speed piston engines, geared for torque. Thinking that is the theory on this tractor, from the rate of exhaust puffing looks faster than the usual steam engine.

Is the round tank on back is for propane? That would explain no smoke.

It may have started out as a water recycling system, but it appears to have been changed. The steam exhausting out the bottom is evidence of this. I'm guessing the tank one operator is sitting on is for Kerosene. I'd like to see this tractor hooked to a bigger plow and using all it's power. It looks like it's just playing with the plow that's on it. Watching some of these plowing competitions is like watching paint dry.

billmart · Dec 4, 2015

what's with the extra coulters sticking up in the air? Bill

buickanddeere · Dec 4, 2015

Condensor to convert the used low temp, low pressure steam into liquid water for boiler feed .
Steam equipment that blows used steam and hot condensate to atmosphere are very inefficient thermally . They require a steady supply of clean mineral free boiler feed water . Otherwise the boiler efficiency drops due to minerals plating out on the HX surfaces and slow thermal transfer.
The minerals and free oxygen also contribute to metallurgical failure .

buickanddeere · Dec 4, 2015

There is peak power that the engine can produce but usually the boiler can not keep up .
It's usually why steam engine operator's stop mid track to talk to the announcer for a while . So the boiler can build pressure back up and the make the remainder of the pull. Instead of falling flat 2/3 of the way down the track.

Rex in Australia · Dec 4, 2015

Did you guys know that the British experimented with steam powered submarines? I read a book about it where they built a few and they
worked, but lots of problems so they gave the idea away.
Rx

buickanddeere · Dec 4, 2015

Brits , Russians and Americans cruise around with steam subs at this very moment .

donjr · Dec 5, 2015

For what it's worth, every nuclear sub that we have built since the mid 1950's has been steam powered. Most ships built until a few years ago have been steam powered, and subs were a diesel electric propulsion plant. Subs became steamships when nuclear fuels allowed an airless operating environment that created heat, which is converted to steam, which drive the turbines that provide electric and propulsion to the boat. Totally enclosed system, and very reliable, with little need for any outside support other than maintenance.

Steam Powered Tractor.

L.Fure

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rrlund

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jimg.allentown

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Deere Mark

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ohiojim

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Spook

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Steve@Advance

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John M

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1948CaseVAI

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L.Fure

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billmart

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Rex in Australia

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