Picture of large engine/pump

[old_nodaker]

I was going to add this to Kevins thread about steam engines, but I don't think its a steam engine, interesting piece of machinery though. Must be a block long, was used to pump natural gas. It's now at Rollag.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/Rollag031.jpg

[slipshod]

Here is a picture of a Fly wheel set-up at the Winter's farm near me. This thing is 24'!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/slipshodent/John%20Deere%204600/DSC00317.jpg

[Mickey]

Here is another flywheel pic taken at Antique Powerland at Brooks Oregon. Note the big flywheel in the background. It's mounted to an operational steam engine which was used in a local mill for many yrs.

[cadurning]

Those old engines are amazing. The Vista Antique Engine has a naturag gas compressor/engine that ran in the Los Angeles area from 1910 until 1996. It's not that large but impressive just the same. The last time that I was there they were still setting it up to be a running display.

[Wingnut]

A steam tractor takes about 4 hours before there is enough heat to start working.
How long does it take to get these working from a cold start?

[mbkerk]

A steam tractor takes about 4 hours before there is enough heat to start working.
How long does it take to get these working from a cold start?

I can actually be steamed up in about 2 hours from a cold start wing... If the engine is warm from the day before it takes just over an hour.

The 600 HP Snow engine old_nodaker posted the picture of is started every hour at Rollag and run for a few minutes. It is very thirsty, and propane is expensive! They start it with compressed air. It takes about 30 seconds to get it running.

The engine originally was fueled by the very natural gas it pumped... If memory serves me correctly, it burned like 13% of what it pumped. Not very efficient at all, and that is why it's at Rollag and not pumping gas any more. I think it came from the east coast somewhere. Perhaps old_nodaker knows more of the details!

[Wingnut]

Thanks for the reply MB, it is a neat engine!!

[jechrist2]

Yes, the engine did burn some of the natural gas that it pumped. It came from Pennsylvania. It is a two cylinder, tandem engine. The engine fires on both sides of each piston, so effectively it is a 4 cylinder engine.

Jerry