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Steam Engines in Boulder

Steam Engines in Boulder. “The Switzerland Trail of America”. Painting by Howard Fogg. Boulder’s Railroad. Railroad built from Boulder west into the mountains to serve mining camps in late 1800 s Track was laid from Boulder west to Sunset, north to Ward , south to Sugarloaf Mtn. and Eldora

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Steam Engines in Boulder

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  1. Steam Engines in Boulder “The Switzerland Trail of America” Painting by Howard Fogg

  2. Boulder’s Railroad • Railroad built from Boulder west into the mountains to serve mining camps in late 1800s • Track was laid from Boulder west to Sunset, north to Ward , south to Sugarloaf Mtn. and Eldora • Rails torn up in 1919 • Nickname “Switzerland Trail of America” was created by Professor Snooks, Weld County Superintendent of Schools

  3. Map of Railroad, circa 1905 Courtesy of Todd Hackett

  4. The Grade Today Roadbed still exists today as public roads Can be traveled by car or mountain bike Approaching Sugarloaf on Eldora Spur September 30, 2007 — Photo by Shane Schabow

  5. The Grade Today (continued) Rock cuts on the railroad often filled with snow during the winter. Locomotives had to buck their way through, backing up and ramming the snow repeatedly. Rock cut on Ward spur, below Mont Alto ParkSeptember 24, 2005 — Photo by Shane Schabow

  6. Winter Railroading Locomotive #30 in “Gold Hill Cut,” west of Mont Alto Park, spring 1899

  7. Snow Fighting A steam locomotive violently plows through snowdrifts near Ward

  8. Steam Power in the Mountains • The railroad owned and operated six steam locomotives of varied designs • The engines pulled both passenger and freight trains

  9. Steam Power in the Mountains #30 with a passenger train at Mont Alto, 1899

  10. Steam Power in the Mountains Locomotive and railroad crew, 1899

  11. Steam Power in the Mountains Freight Train at Sugarloaf, circa 1910

  12. Steam Power in the Mountains The powerful #33 with two women at Glacier Lake, circa 1910

  13. Where Are They Today? • All but one of the locomotives were scrapped • The sole surviving engine, #30, is currently undergoing restoration in Denver (see below) October 5, 2007 – Photo by Sharon Spera

  14. Welcome to the ITLL’sSteam Engine Exhibit

  15. History of Steam Power •  The first steam machine in recorded history (c. 100 BC) was a rotating toy, the “aeolipile,” invented by Greek inventor and engineer, Heron of Alexandria. 100 BC

  16. History of Steam Power •  The first practical steam engine was developed by a Scottish inventor named James Watt in 1775. 1775

  17. History of Steam Power • Early applications of steam engines included pumping and propulsion for ships. During the height of the industrial revolution, steam engines powered nearly everything: • Factories • Sawmills • Machine shops • Ships • Trains

  18. History of Steam Power • By the late 1950s, steam was phased out of use and replaced by the diesel engine in both marine and railroad service. 1920 1943

  19. Where Is the Power in Steam? • The power in steam comes from both its heat and expansive properties. The heat present in the steam gives thermal energy. Steam by its nature has immense expansive energy stored within the molecules. • The compressed air that powers these models does not have nearly the power that steam would have.

  20. Thermal Efficiency of Engines • As a whole, steam engines have very low heat efficiency. Efficiencies of Engines Reciprocating steam 17% Steam turbine 30% Gasoline 25% Diesel 35%

  21. Steam Engine Parts

  22. Steam Engine Cutaway View Admission Ports Valve Valve Rod Exhaust Port Piston Piston Rod Cylinder

  23. Steam Engine Actuation

  24. Steam Engine Actuation • Live steam (red) allowed into left port; • Steam expands and pushes piston to the right. Hot steam begins here Piston motion

  25. Steam Engine Actuation • As piston moves to the right, used steam (blue) is pushed out of cylinder. • The valve directs the steam to the center exhaustport, which exhausts the steam to the atmosphere.

  26. Steam Engine Actuation • When the piston and valve are both at center, all ports are closed. No live or used steam enters the ports. • Steam on left side of piston continues to expand, pushing the piston to the right.

  27. Steam Engine Actuation • As the piston finishes moving to the right, the valve moves to the left, allowing the used steam into the exhaust port and opening the right port. • Live steam (red) flows into right side of cylinder, pushes the piston to the left.

  28. Steam Engine Actuation • No live or used steam enters or exits the ports. • Steam on right side of piston continues to expand, pushing the piston to the left.

  29. Steam Engine Actuation • The process repeats as live steam enters on the left side of the piston

  30. Dynamic Animation

  31. What Else Have Steam Machines Powered? • Automobiles (the “Stanley Steamer”)

  32. How Is Steam Used Today? • The CU power plant supplies steam to heat buildings, hot water, and generate electricity (here, in the ITL Laboratory!) • Aircraft carriers – steam powers the catapult to accelerate airplanes off the ship • Nuclear submarines – heat from the nuclear reaction creates steam, which drives a steam turbine connected to the propellers

  33. Did You Know? (Little Known Facts) • When steam is released from a pressure vessel such as a boiler on a steam locomotive, it expands approximately 400 times in volume!

  34. Did You Know? (Little Known Facts) • Steam engines are the only engine that give maximum torque at zero speed. • To explain it another way… This would permit a steam-driven auto to easily climb a curb from a standstill!

  35. Pop Quiz – Steam at Sea • What does “SS” stand for?(Hint: The “SS Mino”) • What does “RMS” stand for? (Hint: British designation for a passenger ship, such as the Titanic)

  36. Pop Quiz Answers • “SS” = Steam Ship! • “RMS” = Royal Mail Steamer

  37. The Titanic Famous Steam Machines: Painting by Ken Marschall

  38. Steam Ships • Titanic and her sister ships, Olympic and Britannic, were all powered by steam engines • The engines were some of the largest steam engines ever built, before or since Titanic (left) & Olympic (right) at the Belfast Dry Dock at high tide on March 2, 1912

  39. How Many Engines? • Two main engines, port and starboard, drove Titanic’s main propeller shafts

  40. Enormous Size • The steam engines installed on Titanic and her sisters were 30-feet tall, and weighed 1,000 tons • Image showsengines beingassembled inBelfast, Ireland size of a person

  41. Size of Cranks  notice person at right-center

  42. The Power of Titanic • Each engine generated 15,000 horsepower at 76 revolutions per minute (rpm) • Each engine had four cylinders, and were of “Triple-Expansion” design, which means the steam was used three different times before being exhausted

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