Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Suponski
Edgar, What would a small steam engine like the one pictured be used for? A boat perhaps?
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Dave, engines of this type were almost always an in-doors power unit for a shop such as lathe work, occasionally creamery work, and frequently tailor shops. It was a natural for a tailor shop to have a steam engine, because they frequently had need for steam anyway, so the boiler part of the job was already done.
Small steam launches, such as my old boat used vertical engines, if screw propeller driven. My launch was 32' long, one of a pair of tenders from a large steam yacht. The engine it probably had back in 1892 was likely a single cylinder vertical, but When I restored it, back in the early 80s, I put in a 2 cyl, fore and aft compound engine ( mainly because I think the more going on, the better.) Even with 2 cylinders, 3 1/2" HP and 7 1/2" LP, it was so quiet people never heard me slip through the harbor after dark. The boat was so sleek, it hardly made a ripple. Bill Ruger has owned it for 4 years now, and I don't think he's ever put it in the water.