Old Steamer

[Lashlander]

Found this old steam shovel in Fairbanks a few years ago. I think it worked in a gold mine in the area. I think it needs a Top Con set up to make it complete.

[Ford LT-9000]

Clean it up put it at the end of your driveway and hang your address and mail box on it
good yard ornament :yup

Theres lots of old steam powered equipment laying in the bush on B.C.s West Coast from the early years of logging.

[Dusty]

i love it

[wrenchbender]

Nice shot looks mostly intact. Now that is from a time when the operator had to be on his toes.I guess it didn't have all the comforts of the newer machines.But it did have heat in the winter and more heat in the summer.

[Steve Frazier]

Nice find!! Love the tracks! I wonder if the old steam machines had a fireman like the locomotives or if the operator was responsible for maintaining steam?

[wrenchbender]

Nice find!! Love the tracks! I wonder if the old steam machines had a fireman like the locomotives or if the operator was responsible for maintaining steam?

I guess that would depend on the company ya worked for. But I think it would be much more economical to pay an extra guy to tend the fire than the operator tending it. That's just my take on it and I ain't got nothing to back it up!

[Jeff D.]

Lashlander, do you remember what year you took that pic? I thought it looked awfully familiar.

Here it is again, with the my old man in front of it '92.

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showpost.php?p=15436&postcount=150

[Lashlander]

I took the pic in july of 94. I didn't know it was a rerun.

[Jeff D.]

I took the pic in july of 94.I figured since the tree size in the background wasn't much different the pics must have been pretty close in the time frame they were taken.I didn't know it was a rerun.Oh, that's no problem. Your pic was better anyhoo. You can see the tracks and stuff better.:)

[bigbucket]

I believe they had a fireman like the steam locomotives. Could be wrong though, before my time. I can't see how they would get a lot of production if the engineer had to keep stopping to tend the boiler.

[OzDozer]

I think you'll find, that in those days, labor wasn't a problem, and there were three guys employed to operate a steam shovel.
An operator .. a fireman to stoke the boiler and watch the gauges .. and an oiler (or greaser) to keep the 159 oil cups, and 336 grease points lubed .. :D

What's more, they all rode on the machine at all times, and even hung off rotating parts, or booms .. while the machine was working.
The safety guys of today would have had heart failure. Life was cheap, and safety was of low concern.

What is staggering, is the number of people killed and injured in a crippling manner by steam, in the steam era.
Railroads were the worst offenders, with fatalities peaking at 10 deaths per 1000 employees in the early 1890's .. and serious injuries peaking at 147 per 1000 in 1916. However, the construction, excavation and earthmoving industries weren't far behind.
Boiler explosions, burns, crushing injuries and amputations, were just daily fare. 16 hr work days were common, until laws were passed in the U.S., in 1907, banning such long work hours, to try and improve the safety of workers.
It was a hard era, and we have a soft lifestyle nowadays, compared to these early steam pioneers.

[Dozerboy]

Soft??????:rolleyes: My AC quit working today, but my radio was still good to go and the mechanic said he would have the parts by noon tomorrow. :D :notworthy