Are Steam Traction engines Expensive ?

Question

Is it possible to purchase a stema traction Engine in order to produce electricity.

I would like to know roughly

how much they cost

what sort of Out put they produce

also in terms of Fuel, Preferably wood fired, but how much fuel would be required to keep it going.....

Answer 1

Kind of expensive really. They are just like a locomotive. They need regular maintenance and servicing, there boilers need inspecting regularly etc etc. Also, a friend of mine at one time was heavily involved with a "Showmans" engine and his recollections were that "Generating" (as it is called) is a very skilled job. You can't just set the thing off and forget it for the night, and the Dynamo's take alot of energy to keep them running so you're constantly topping up the boiler and feeding the fire.

Also imagine the cost of an alternator and it's associated swich gear, installation costs etc.

The "Showmens engines" you see at steam rallies are very much expensive toys for the few that can afford them. When the UK was the "Workshop to the world" you could find a highly skilled engineer on every street that could and would be able to make parts and service this type of engine, now adays, you're looking at "Specialists" with special prices to match.

A rough figure for a running engine can be anything from 35k - 100k and even more for something really special.

In the long term, your £87 direct debit electric bill will be a h**l of a lot less to pay.

Answer 2

Thunderstruck's got it.  I like that, expensive with a capital "F"!

If you want back-up power for off-mains use, you'd be better off with a petrol or diesel generator, and they will still be more expensive than mains.

Steam engines are beautiful things, but only for people of immense knowledge and engineering ability.

Answer 3

Lets just say if they were cheap, cheap to run and produced plenty of output to drive a dynamo or such that was capable of producing plenty of electricity.......WE WOULD ALL HAVE ONE!

Answer 4

Look up Fred Dibna's videos and books, Steam Traction Engines are for enthusiast who wish to burn money.

Answer 5

Norfolk Southern Railroad had a couple in Birmingham AL. that they ran little excursions with up until a few years ago and they spent about $1,000,000 a year on each one just to rebuild each engine.