Steam up power fest, any one going this year?

[Mister Bisley]

It's that time again, I missed the last few years, and will not be displaying my Caterpillar, but will be going at least for two days this year! Hope to see you there!
View attachment 480003

This is 2017s flyer.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Here we go...

 

[Mister Bisley]

LOL...I was looking at the dates and was like, "Why would they have this on a Sunday/Monday? I think the lady and I will head down next Saturday. The weather forecast looks glorious!

 

[Ura-Ki]

Lol, I didn't even catch that!
That flyer was posted at the southbound rest area south of Wilsonville! I hadn't seen any flyers and snapped that photo to remind my self to make time to go!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

I am going this next weekend, supposed to be cooler! I sure do enjoy the steam engines, the saw mill, and the black Smith shop! And then there's always the swap meet that gets me in trouble! I'm not bringing the Pickup, so no excuses to buy stuff! Lol
It's those damn hand tools I really gotta avoid, there are always a bunch of good deals on old hand tools I gotta have!

maybe i'll see you there! were planning on sunday but MAYBE sat morning

 

[Mister Bisley]

It would be cool to meet a few of the members there.

 

[41mag]

I really like traditional fair food. The food there is limited considering the crowd, and pretty terrible.

agree.....however THIS year tried Secret Ninja Trick, which worked very well; get to the "1st setting" BEFORE the 12o rush. 20 minutes early saved the unpleasant experience of the last few years for our little group.

Did the 'still cool enough' tour to enjoy the swap meet area, slow amble thru a few museum displays, and got to the primary 'Food Court' across from the Truck museum.....

Limited menu but settled on a corned-beef-swiss-sauerkraut-on-rye "Reuben".....which for $6 was the best 'fair food' I've had in decades.

Managed to grab a table under the sun shade and eat at leisure. DIL & grandson was a little slower & stood in a line but got tremendous corn-on-cob with smoked Tri-tip & fixings. Unusually pleasing fair food.

 

[Argonaut]

I have been around a lot of antique steam equipment, in ships, tractors, locomotives, stationary power units and even antique cars. Much of it terrifies me. It has such a a poor safety record when operated at high pressure. Brings the hair up on the back of my neck. It is one of the most powerful forces on earth, nuclear power is essentially steam. The loos of life a few years ago when an old steam tractor blew up at the Iowa (?) state fair was huge, in my studies and work in the marine field show that every steam river boat blew up at some time or another. One of the worst navel disasters happened on the Mississippi when a large paddlewheeler blew up carrying civil war troops north. It killed 1200 of them. Modern steam is better with modern metallurgical improvements but even with that, it is very difficult to see potentially fatal flaws. Many sailors were killed by steam into the 70's when internal combustion Diesel engines became the norm in shipping. I owned a large cutter made in 1938 that was still steam.....it was very inefficient (used something like 20 gallons per mile) but also very scary when the power was up. The low pressure stuff isn't as bad but still not a comfortable feeling to be around, particularly when operated with antique iron boiler tanks.

 

[Mister Bisley]

I have been around a lot of antique steam equipment, in ships, tractors, locomotives, stationary power units and even antique cars. Much of it terrifies me. It has such a a poor safety record when operated at high pressure. Brings the hair up on the back of my neck. It is one of the most powerful forces on earth, nuclear power is essentially steam. The loos of life a few years ago when an old steam tractor blew up at the Iowa (?) state fair was huge, in my studies and work in the marine field show that every steam river boat blew up at some time or another. One of the worst navel disasters happened on the Mississippi when a large paddlewheeler blew up carrying civil war troops north. It killed many hundreds of them. Modern steam is better with modern metallurgical improvements but even with that, it is very difficult to see potentially fatal flaws. Many sailors were killed by steam into the 70's when internal combustion Diesel engines became the norm in shipping. I owned a large cutter made in 1938 that was still steam.....it was very inefficient (used something like 20 gallons per mile) but also very scary when the power was up. The low pressure stuff isn't as bad but still not a comfortable feeling to be around, particularly when operated with antique iron boiler tanks.

Should add a little excitement for next weekend

 

[Kristina]

I have been around a lot of antique steam equipment, in ships, tractors, locomotives, stationary power units and even antique cars. Much of it terrifies me. It has such a a poor safety record when operated at high pressure. Brings the hair up on the back of my neck. It is one of the most powerful forces on earth, nuclear power is essentially steam. The loos of life a few years ago when an old steam tractor blew up at the Iowa (?) state fair was huge, in my studies and work in the marine field show that every steam river boat blew up at some time or another. One of the worst navel disasters happened on the Mississippi when a large paddlewheeler blew up carrying civil war troops north. It killed many hundreds of them. Modern steam is better with modern metallurgical improvements but even with that, it is very difficult to see potentially fatal flaws. Many sailors were killed by steam into the 70's when internal combustion Diesel engines became the norm in shipping. I owned a large cutter made in 1938 that was still steam.....it was very inefficient (used something like 20 gallons per mile) but also very scary when the power was up. The low pressure stuff isn't as bad but still not a comfortable feeling to be around, particularly when operated with antique iron boiler tanks.

Killjoy.

 

[Mikej]

I have been around a lot of antique steam equipment, in ships, tractors, locomotives, stationary power units and even antique cars. Much of it terrifies me. It has such a a poor safety record when operated at high pressure. Brings the hair up on the back of my neck. It is one of the most powerful forces on earth, nuclear power is essentially steam. The loos of life a few years ago when an old steam tractor blew up at the Iowa (?) state fair was huge, in my studies and work in the marine field show that every steam river boat blew up at some time or another. One of the worst navel disasters happened on the Mississippi when a large paddlewheeler blew up carrying civil war troops north. It killed many hundreds of them. Modern steam is better with modern metallurgical improvements but even with that, it is very difficult to see potentially fatal flaws. Many sailors were killed by steam into the 70's when internal combustion Diesel engines became the norm in shipping. I owned a large cutter made in 1938 that was still steam.....it was very inefficient (used something like 20 gallons per mile) but also very scary when the power was up. The low pressure stuff isn't as bad but still not a comfortable feeling to be around, particularly when operated with antique iron boiler tanks.

The boilers are required to go through certification every year. In past years there have been one or two that didn't pass and they were sitting cold. Those tractors, if I remember correctly, had a working pressure of 120psi. I believe, didn't look this year, they allow them only 60 psi working pressure down there. Doesn't worry ME any. They can't be nearly as dangerous as driving down from PDX on the 5. And back home in the afternoon when many more Willamette Valley idiot, moron, not-give-a-crap drivers are on the road.

 

[Argonaut]

The boilers are required to go through certification every year. In past years there have been one or two that didn't pass and they were sitting cold. Those tractors, if I remember correctly, had a working pressure of 120psi. I believe, didn't look this year, they allow them only 60 psi working pressure down there. Doesn't worry ME any. They can't be nearly as dangerous as driving down from PDX on the 5. And back home in the afternoon when many more Willamette Valley idiot, moron, not-give-a-crap drivers are on the road.

Off course........but it is impossible to really do an adaquate inspection. The one in Iowa passed all the required inspections but what was missed was there were hard (brittle) places in the boiler from being cooled too rapidly over the years and the metal also work hardens. Do you have any idea the energy 120 PSI in a 3000 gallon boiler has? The numbers are phenomenal. I have a buddy that is a certified boiler welder that makes just simple large steel tanks. They test them by applying pressure........he gets really nervous over 3 PSI because of the energy stored even at that pressure. Have you ever seen a rail tank car collapse with a little vacuum or explode from a little pressure. It is scary stuff. I have made several barges with retired rail tanks 60 feet long, most welders are terrified to weld on them so we evacuate all the oxygen with something like dry ice or carbon monoxide before touching them with anything hot. Even large oil tanker ships have a very short lifespan because of work hardening caused by being loaded, unloaded and twisting in the sea. I think this rail car explosion was just a few years ago in Swattle or Tacoma.......the tractor exploded when it was very new in 1918.

 

[41mag]

Great---[adding yet another potential way to suffer needless catastrophe to my list]

 

[Mikej]

View attachment 483102 View attachment 483103
Off course........but it is impossible to really do an adaquate inspection. The one in Iowa passed all the required inspections but what was missed was there were hard (brittle) places in the boiler from being cooled too rapidly over the years and the metal also work hardens. Do you have any idea the energy 120 PSI in a 3000 gallon boiler has? The numbers are phenomenal. I have a buddy that is a certified boiler welder that makes just simple large steel tanks. They test them by applying pressure........he gets really nervous over 3 PSI because of the energy stored even at that pressure. Have you ever seen a rail tank car collapse with a little vacuum or explode from a little pressure. It is scary stuff. I have made several barges with retired rail tanks 60 feet long, most welders are terrified to weld on them so we evacuate all the oxygen with something like dry ice or carbon monoxide before touching them with anything hot. Even large oil tanker ships have a very short lifespan because of work hardening caused by being loaded, unloaded and twisting in the sea. I think this rail car explosion was just a few years ago in Swattle or Tacoma.......the tractor exploded when it was very new in 1918.

You don't drive do you? I hope not.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Yesterday, the lady and I went down to the Steam-Up with some friends and we got our minds blown.

I have been to a few smaller shows/exhibits, in various parts of the country, but nothing prepared me for the spectacle at the 48th Annual Great Oregon Steam-Up!! Yowzers! What a powerful event (no pun intended). The parade was fantastic and the tractor pulls were neat. Swap meet is very nostalgic and a junk collectors dream.

For anyone going today and looking for food...there seemed to be two food court areas. I found the Tri-tip and Reuben stand on the eastern edge of the event, heading back towards the swap meet. We wound up getting Hawaiian fare(western food court) and it was OK, but I was trying to hold out for Tri-tip and didn't find it until after we had already eaten.

 

[Mister Bisley]

While there...I picked up a flyer for the Old Iron Show in Tillamook in two weeks. Anyone been to this show? Very curious and might try to get out there for it.

Here is the flyer:https://www.edgeta.com/wp-content/u...8407/2018-NW-Show-Tillamook-5acec9225275b.pdf

 

[Caveman Jim]

One project at a time, that's how I do it ( or at least I tell my self that) so far, the Cats done, the Tucker is done, the Boats done, and the PowerWagon is done, only 300 more to go!
I actually have been selling off projects, I realised I would never get to them, let alone finish them, so they are making their way to good homes!

Then it is time to git that boat to fishin, unless of course it is a speed boat.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Then it is time to git that boat to fishin, unless of course it is a speed boat.

Steamboats only dude!!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I would love to have steam power in a boat!
The coolest I ever saw was on the canals in Norway, a twin screw steam tug of about 50 feet, that thing was Beautiful!

 

[Mister Bisley]

I would love to have steam power in a boat!
The coolest I ever saw was on the canals in Norway, a twin screw steam tug of about 50 feet, that thing was Beautiful!

Yesterday at the Steam-Up, while watching the parade...There was a small red plane, very similar to your plane in your avatar, circling the event. I had a moment of thinking it was you and was waiting for you to parachute down to the parade.