1 00:00:01,468 --> 00:00:02,401 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:02,603 --> 00:00:04,003 - [Narrator] Simply boil water to see what it can do. 3 00:00:06,006 --> 00:00:09,141 Provide locomotion, generate electricity, 4 00:00:09,209 --> 00:00:13,012 clean just about anything, and power outlandish gizmos. 5 00:00:14,882 --> 00:00:16,982 But if you don't watch out, it can huff 6 00:00:17,752 --> 00:00:20,552 and puff and blow your house down. 7 00:00:20,754 --> 00:00:22,754 - Are you ready to go balls out? 8 00:00:22,823 --> 00:00:24,155 Are you ready to go full steam ahead? 9 00:00:24,224 --> 00:00:26,959 You'll find out where all these terms come from coming up. 10 00:00:27,161 --> 00:00:30,996 - [Narrator] Now, steam power on "Modern Marvels". 11 00:00:31,498 --> 00:00:33,999 (dramatic music) 12 00:00:36,437 --> 00:00:39,004 (gears crunching) 13 00:00:44,578 --> 00:00:46,712 -[Narrator] Steam cars. 14 00:00:46,914 --> 00:00:48,247 In the early days of the automobile, 15 00:00:48,315 --> 00:00:51,984 they were more popular than the internal combustion engine. 16 00:00:53,854 --> 00:00:55,587 To learn about them from an expert, 17 00:00:55,656 --> 00:00:57,122 we went to Jay Leno's garage. 18 00:00:58,191 --> 00:01:01,860 In two enormous buildings, Jay has amassed a collection 19 00:01:01,929 --> 00:01:04,663 of exceptional and unusual motor vehicles, 20 00:01:04,731 --> 00:01:05,798 including some classic steamers. 21 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,532 - What I'm gonna do right now is fire up 22 00:01:07,601 --> 00:01:11,603 a 1909 Stanley steam car. 23 00:01:11,672 --> 00:01:13,939 The steam cars are quite popular 24 00:01:14,141 --> 00:01:15,073 at the turn of the century because, don't forget, 25 00:01:15,142 --> 00:01:17,009 cars back in the early days, you had to crank them, 26 00:01:17,211 --> 00:01:19,744 and you had the magneto, and you had to set the choke, 27 00:01:19,814 --> 00:01:20,679 and a lot of times they'd backfire 28 00:01:20,748 --> 00:01:23,081 and people would break their arms. 29 00:01:23,150 --> 00:01:25,617 Where steam, well, steam technology was 100 years old 30 00:01:25,686 --> 00:01:27,819 by the time this car was built. 31 00:01:27,888 --> 00:01:29,821 Steam technology was easily understood. 32 00:01:29,890 --> 00:01:31,690 If you heat up water, it makes steam, 33 00:01:31,892 --> 00:01:33,992 it pushes the pistons, and you go. 34 00:01:34,695 --> 00:01:35,994 Let's open up the hood. 35 00:01:39,032 --> 00:01:41,834 Okay, not as pretty as looking at a 289 Mustang 36 00:01:42,036 --> 00:01:45,504 or a 327 Chevy, but this is not your engine. 37 00:01:45,573 --> 00:01:47,706 This is just your boiler. 38 00:01:47,908 --> 00:01:48,507 - [Narrator] Getting an old steamer 39 00:01:48,709 --> 00:01:50,909 ready to run isn't simple. 40 00:01:50,978 --> 00:01:53,846 It's a multi-step, time-consuming process, 41 00:01:54,048 --> 00:01:56,014 and firing up the boiler can be an adventure. 42 00:01:56,984 --> 00:01:59,117 - This is one of the few cars you can get 43 00:01:59,186 --> 00:02:01,786 burned to death and scalded to death at the same time. 44 00:02:01,856 --> 00:02:04,456 I mean, you're carrying an open flame, 45 00:02:04,525 --> 00:02:05,991 and you're made of wood. 46 00:02:06,927 --> 00:02:09,995 - [Narrator] Adding air pressure, easy. 47 00:02:10,597 --> 00:02:12,130 Pilot light, no problem. 48 00:02:12,199 --> 00:02:14,933 But then Jay's first attempt to ignite the gas injectors 49 00:02:15,002 --> 00:02:18,270 that provide the heat for the boiler fails. 50 00:02:18,472 --> 00:02:19,538 - Not good. 51 00:02:19,606 --> 00:02:22,007 Okay, that's a bad sign. 52 00:02:22,476 --> 00:02:25,010 (Jay blowing) 53 00:02:28,215 --> 00:02:30,415 - [Narrator] Now he's not sure how much vaporized gas 54 00:02:30,618 --> 00:02:30,983 is floating around. 55 00:02:32,620 --> 00:02:33,685 - Let's take a chance. 56 00:02:33,753 --> 00:02:35,687 (gas igniting) There you go. 57 00:02:35,755 --> 00:02:38,557 Exactly what I'm talking about. 58 00:02:38,759 --> 00:02:42,160 As you can see, it has burned. 59 00:02:42,229 --> 00:02:45,030 See, when you go home, your wife knows where you've been. 60 00:02:45,099 --> 00:02:47,566 She can't accuse you of being out or doing something 61 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:49,001 when your arm is on fire. 62 00:02:51,238 --> 00:02:52,704 - [Narrator] Jay has better luck the second time around, 63 00:02:52,906 --> 00:02:54,006 and soon the boiler is warming up. 64 00:02:56,777 --> 00:02:59,377 The car lets out a loud moan. 65 00:02:59,446 --> 00:03:00,312 (car moaning) 66 00:03:00,514 --> 00:03:03,648 (Jay howling) 67 00:03:03,717 --> 00:03:05,850 Next, Jay pushes the car outside 68 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:07,986 to fill up the car's 30 gallon water tank. 69 00:03:08,922 --> 00:03:10,588 - I'm slowly building steam pressure. 70 00:03:10,657 --> 00:03:11,456 Let's see if we've got any. 71 00:03:11,525 --> 00:03:12,457 I'll check my whistle. 72 00:03:12,660 --> 00:03:15,394 (steam whistle blowing) 73 00:03:15,596 --> 00:03:17,062 We're getting there. 74 00:03:17,130 --> 00:03:18,863 See, the nice thing about steam is a gasoline engine 75 00:03:18,932 --> 00:03:21,934 might turn 3500 revolutions per minute. 76 00:03:22,136 --> 00:03:25,604 This engine turns about 357 revolutions per mile. 77 00:03:25,673 --> 00:03:27,739 It's just choo, choo, like that. 78 00:03:27,808 --> 00:03:30,008 So when you pull away, dead silence. 79 00:03:35,616 --> 00:03:38,016 (steam whistle blowing) 80 00:03:38,084 --> 00:03:40,352 There's no gears to shift, there's no transmission, 81 00:03:40,554 --> 00:03:41,419 there's no clutch. 82 00:03:41,488 --> 00:03:43,989 Steam is so powerful, you don't need gears. 83 00:03:44,958 --> 00:03:46,691 - [Narrator] A steam engine is known 84 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,960 as an external combustion engine, 85 00:03:49,029 --> 00:03:50,962 because unlike an internal combustion engine, 86 00:03:51,031 --> 00:03:52,630 the power is produced outside of the engine 87 00:03:52,699 --> 00:03:55,500 in a boiler, or steam generator. 88 00:03:55,568 --> 00:03:57,035 (suspenseful music) 89 00:03:57,237 --> 00:04:00,905 When water boils, it converts from a liquid to a gas. 90 00:04:00,974 --> 00:04:03,508 It expands in the process, creating pressure 91 00:04:03,576 --> 00:04:05,010 in a closed system. 92 00:04:05,912 --> 00:04:06,912 That pressure can be used to do work, 93 00:04:07,114 --> 00:04:10,114 like running pistons in Jay's Stanley steamer. 94 00:04:10,183 --> 00:04:13,852 While inside a pressurized system, steam is invisible. 95 00:04:14,054 --> 00:04:16,054 It's when it vents into cooler temperatures 96 00:04:16,122 --> 00:04:18,991 that it condenses into white clouds of water vapor. 97 00:04:20,794 --> 00:04:22,794 - This is your throttle right here, 98 00:04:22,863 --> 00:04:24,997 and you open your throttle and you go. 99 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,001 Let's see if we can beat the camera car. 100 00:04:31,672 --> 00:04:35,007 (steam whistle blowing) 101 00:04:36,276 --> 00:04:39,011 - [Narrator] Jay has hit 70 miles per hour in this car. 102 00:04:39,413 --> 00:04:40,812 Not bad. 103 00:04:41,014 --> 00:04:43,748 But the Stanley steamer land speed record 104 00:04:43,817 --> 00:04:46,985 is 127 miles per hour, set in 1906. 105 00:04:49,089 --> 00:04:50,822 - When you drive a steam car, you learn to shut off 106 00:04:51,024 --> 00:04:53,692 your throttle as you approach a stop sign, 107 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,694 so you get a build up of steam. 108 00:04:55,762 --> 00:04:57,095 You don't have limitless steam. 109 00:04:57,297 --> 00:05:00,032 You're actually using steam faster than you're making it, 110 00:05:00,234 --> 00:05:04,002 so you want to try to conserve as much steam as you can. 111 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,107 - [Narrator] After taking a spin in his Stanley, 112 00:05:09,309 --> 00:05:13,011 Jay decides to roll out one of his more elegant steamers, 113 00:05:14,581 --> 00:05:16,014 a 1907 White steam car. 114 00:05:18,184 --> 00:05:20,585 - This was a bit more expensive, bit more prestigious 115 00:05:20,654 --> 00:05:22,453 than the Stanley steam car. 116 00:05:22,522 --> 00:05:23,522 This was a step up. 117 00:05:23,724 --> 00:05:25,657 They built 10,000 of these. 118 00:05:25,859 --> 00:05:27,793 This was the first White House car. 119 00:05:27,995 --> 00:05:29,995 Teddy Roosevelt rode in a White steamer. 120 00:05:31,131 --> 00:05:33,064 - [Narrator] Starting up this car doesn't take as long 121 00:05:33,133 --> 00:05:37,068 because of its more efficient way of producing steam. 122 00:05:37,137 --> 00:05:38,870 - With the Stanley heating up 15 gallons of water, 123 00:05:38,939 --> 00:05:41,740 you have a big fire, like a giant kettle. 124 00:05:41,809 --> 00:05:43,675 With this, you're never heating more 125 00:05:43,877 --> 00:05:46,345 than two quarts of water at a time. 126 00:05:46,547 --> 00:05:49,147 (ragtime music) 127 00:05:49,216 --> 00:05:52,417 As you can see, the White was a lot more relaxed version 128 00:05:52,485 --> 00:05:53,285 of the Stanley. 129 00:05:53,487 --> 00:05:57,823 Not quite as hectic, big comfortable cars. 130 00:05:58,025 --> 00:06:00,992 35 miles an hour was a nice cruising speed. 131 00:06:01,961 --> 00:06:03,695 This is what they called a condensing car. 132 00:06:03,897 --> 00:06:04,963 If you notice, unlike the Stanley, 133 00:06:05,032 --> 00:06:07,899 you don't see plumes of steam coming out the back 134 00:06:07,967 --> 00:06:09,768 because the steam is used by the engine, 135 00:06:09,837 --> 00:06:11,970 it goes back up into the condenser, 136 00:06:12,172 --> 00:06:14,906 which looks like a radiator, but it's a condenser. 137 00:06:14,975 --> 00:06:17,108 The cool air from the fan cools the steam, 138 00:06:17,177 --> 00:06:20,712 turns it into water, and you use it over and over again. 139 00:06:20,781 --> 00:06:23,715 I mean, eventually it dissipates. 140 00:06:23,917 --> 00:06:25,784 Whereas a Stanley you might get only 141 00:06:25,853 --> 00:06:28,052 a mile and a half on a gallon of water, 142 00:06:28,122 --> 00:06:30,989 on this you might get five miles on a gallon of water. 143 00:06:33,193 --> 00:06:35,059 - [Narrator] The ride may have been quiet and comfortable, 144 00:06:35,128 --> 00:06:38,196 but the lower sticker prices on gasoline powered cars, 145 00:06:38,264 --> 00:06:40,999 along with a quicker starting internal combustion engine, 146 00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:45,003 caused steamer sales to fizzle. 147 00:06:45,072 --> 00:06:48,874 - Gasoline cars could do it quicker, better, faster, 148 00:06:48,942 --> 00:06:50,809 and that's really the name of the game. 149 00:06:51,011 --> 00:06:53,812 I love them, but if your wife's pregnant 150 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:54,746 and you need to get to the hospital, 151 00:06:54,815 --> 00:06:57,015 you can't be out there with a match, 152 00:06:57,083 --> 00:06:58,483 and "I'll be about another 10 minutes, honey." 153 00:06:58,551 --> 00:06:59,985 It's not gonna work. 154 00:07:00,954 --> 00:07:02,754 - [Narrator] Decades before steam cars, 155 00:07:02,822 --> 00:07:04,689 and for decades after their fall, 156 00:07:04,758 --> 00:07:07,959 steam locomotives ruled the rails. 157 00:07:08,027 --> 00:07:11,162 In 1804, English inventor, Richard Trevithick 158 00:07:11,231 --> 00:07:13,999 unveiled a steam locomotive capable of hauling 10 tons. 159 00:07:15,635 --> 00:07:17,702 (steam whistle blowing) 160 00:07:17,771 --> 00:07:19,637 They quickly grew in size and power 161 00:07:19,706 --> 00:07:21,639 and became important work horses 162 00:07:21,708 --> 00:07:23,008 in the industrial revolution. 163 00:07:24,043 --> 00:07:27,178 Throughout the 1800s, the steam locomotive 164 00:07:27,247 --> 00:07:30,015 played a major role in the settlement of the American west. 165 00:07:30,850 --> 00:07:32,984 A defining moment occurred in 1869 166 00:07:33,186 --> 00:07:35,854 when the completion of the trans-continental railroad 167 00:07:35,923 --> 00:07:38,990 linked the United States from coast to coast. 168 00:07:41,127 --> 00:07:43,794 In remote Ely, Nevada, the Nevada Northern Railway 169 00:07:43,864 --> 00:07:46,598 houses its historic steam locomotives 170 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:47,999 in their original engine house. 171 00:07:49,937 --> 00:07:52,337 - The locomotive we're gonna take out today 172 00:07:52,539 --> 00:07:54,939 is locomotive 93. 173 00:07:55,008 --> 00:07:59,010 She was purchased by the railroad in July of 1909. 174 00:08:00,079 --> 00:08:02,547 Right now the fireman is preparing the fire 175 00:08:02,615 --> 00:08:03,982 to produce the steam. 176 00:08:06,486 --> 00:08:07,819 (coal sizzling) 177 00:08:08,021 --> 00:08:10,355 - What I'm doing now is I'm shoveling coal 178 00:08:10,557 --> 00:08:10,989 into the fire box. 179 00:08:12,892 --> 00:08:15,994 We cover the grates evenly with fire, 180 00:08:17,230 --> 00:08:20,364 and we build the pressure up for our operating pressure, 181 00:08:20,433 --> 00:08:23,001 about 185 psi. 182 00:08:23,503 --> 00:08:25,437 (shovel clanging) 183 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:27,972 This fire box is big. 184 00:08:28,041 --> 00:08:30,975 It's about 12 feet deep and about six feet wide. 185 00:08:31,044 --> 00:08:34,912 This engine takes a lot of coal to make it run. 186 00:08:34,981 --> 00:08:38,850 - It's an incredibly labor-intensive machine. 187 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:41,519 Right now we're lubing it, getting it ready 188 00:08:41,588 --> 00:08:43,989 to go out on the line. 189 00:08:45,258 --> 00:08:47,993 - [Narrator] Once the boiler builds up enough pressure, 190 00:08:48,195 --> 00:08:49,995 steam generates electricity for the train's lights, 191 00:08:50,197 --> 00:08:53,197 and runs the air pumps on the front of the locomotive 192 00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:56,668 that produce compressed air for braking and other functions. 193 00:08:56,870 --> 00:08:59,737 Then up goes the engine house door, 194 00:08:59,806 --> 00:09:02,007 and locomotive 93 slowly chugs out. 195 00:09:03,543 --> 00:09:07,012 (train bell ringing) 196 00:09:13,486 --> 00:09:16,988 (steam hissing) 197 00:09:18,358 --> 00:09:20,992 - We just received a high ball, releasing the engine brake, 198 00:09:22,829 --> 00:09:25,096 placing the power reverse and forward, 199 00:09:25,298 --> 00:09:28,499 and pull out on the throttle and two blasts on the whistle. 200 00:09:28,569 --> 00:09:29,367 (steam whistle tooting) 201 00:09:29,436 --> 00:09:31,002 And off we go. 202 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:35,006 (locomotive chugging) 203 00:09:37,044 --> 00:09:37,976 - [Narrator] This is copper mining country, 204 00:09:38,045 --> 00:09:41,512 and for nearly 50 years, locomotive number 93's job 205 00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:43,715 was to haul ore cars. 206 00:09:43,783 --> 00:09:44,716 - This is a freight locomotive. 207 00:09:44,918 --> 00:09:46,651 You can tell by the smaller wheels. 208 00:09:46,719 --> 00:09:48,586 It has a lot of tractive effort, 209 00:09:48,655 --> 00:09:49,787 but very little horse power. 210 00:09:49,856 --> 00:09:52,591 Tractive effort's about 42,000 pounds, 211 00:09:52,793 --> 00:09:53,992 but the horse power's only 905. 212 00:09:55,928 --> 00:09:56,861 It's built for power and not for speed. 213 00:09:57,064 --> 00:09:59,998 It used to pull about 33 oar cars up the hill. 214 00:10:01,468 --> 00:10:03,801 (steam hissing) 215 00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:05,870 Since this is a working locomotive, 216 00:10:05,938 --> 00:10:06,604 you have to be careful what you touch. 217 00:10:06,673 --> 00:10:08,006 Everything's extremely hot. 218 00:10:09,609 --> 00:10:11,876 (train bell ringing) 219 00:10:11,945 --> 00:10:13,811 - [Narrator] Before they return number 93 220 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,014 to the engine house, the crew performs 221 00:10:16,083 --> 00:10:18,750 a boiler cleaning procedure that gives just a hint 222 00:10:18,952 --> 00:10:20,986 of the amount of pressurized steam inside. 223 00:10:23,023 --> 00:10:25,957 - After each run, we do what we call a blow down. 224 00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:27,692 We do this because sediments build up in the boiler 225 00:10:27,894 --> 00:10:30,895 and we have to clean the boiler out 226 00:10:30,964 --> 00:10:32,363 and get those sediments out of the boiler. 227 00:10:32,432 --> 00:10:33,364 So here goes. 228 00:10:33,433 --> 00:10:36,001 (steam blowing) 229 00:10:41,508 --> 00:10:42,173 (bell ringing) 230 00:10:42,242 --> 00:10:44,042 In the 19th century, the steam engine 231 00:10:44,111 --> 00:10:46,711 revolutionized how we live, and ushered in the dawn 232 00:10:46,779 --> 00:10:49,781 of a new age of transportation. 233 00:10:49,850 --> 00:10:51,048 A trip from New York to Philadelphia 234 00:10:51,117 --> 00:10:54,052 that used to take two days, now took only two hours. 235 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,988 Farmers could ship their products to distant markets, 236 00:10:57,057 --> 00:11:00,458 as the speed of railroads meant crops wouldn't spoil 237 00:11:00,526 --> 00:11:01,993 before being sold. 238 00:11:04,064 --> 00:11:05,596 But it's not just locomotives that demonstrate 239 00:11:05,665 --> 00:11:07,799 the awesome power of steam. 240 00:11:07,868 --> 00:11:09,934 At the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, 241 00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:14,138 this 100 ton steam crane is called the big hook. 242 00:11:14,207 --> 00:11:18,943 Built in 1907, its main purpose was to clear train wrecks 243 00:11:19,012 --> 00:11:21,212 and place derailed cars back on the tracks. 244 00:11:21,281 --> 00:11:24,015 - This steam-powered crane is similar to a steam locomotive 245 00:11:24,217 --> 00:11:28,819 except that we're not running wheels on steel rails. 246 00:11:28,888 --> 00:11:32,223 What we're running here are large gears 247 00:11:32,291 --> 00:11:35,994 that pick up the boom, and also the two hooks in the front. 248 00:11:37,097 --> 00:11:38,829 - [Narrator] Before it can pick up a derailed car, 249 00:11:38,898 --> 00:11:40,965 the crane's outriggers much be extended. 250 00:11:41,034 --> 00:11:43,568 Then the crew places wood blocks underneath each 251 00:11:43,636 --> 00:11:45,003 to stabilize the crane. 252 00:11:46,773 --> 00:11:48,372 Now the heavy lifting can begin. 253 00:11:48,442 --> 00:11:50,975 (steam hissing) 254 00:11:51,178 --> 00:11:53,778 - Next, we're gonna swing the crane over to the load 255 00:11:53,847 --> 00:11:55,713 we're gonna pick up, and to do that, 256 00:11:55,782 --> 00:11:57,849 I have to engage the swing hook 257 00:11:57,918 --> 00:12:00,852 and then I have to put a direction on it, 258 00:12:01,054 --> 00:12:04,389 and then I will apply steam, which is power, 259 00:12:04,457 --> 00:12:06,323 by these levers. 260 00:12:06,392 --> 00:12:07,325 Here we go. 261 00:12:07,394 --> 00:12:09,994 (dramatic music) 262 00:12:12,132 --> 00:12:15,133 Next, we're gonna lower the hook to pick up the load, 263 00:12:15,335 --> 00:12:20,004 which would mean first I engage this one here, this clutch. 264 00:12:20,474 --> 00:12:23,341 (steam hissing) 265 00:12:23,410 --> 00:12:24,676 It's engaged. 266 00:12:24,744 --> 00:12:26,010 Now we're gonna let her down. 267 00:12:28,014 --> 00:12:29,947 - [Narrator] The big hook may look huge, 268 00:12:30,016 --> 00:12:31,983 and it's brawny enough to lift up this ore car, 269 00:12:33,019 --> 00:12:36,086 but it's nothing in size compared to some 270 00:12:36,156 --> 00:12:38,990 of the largest steam-powered machines ever constructed, 271 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,894 the great ocean liners of the 19th and 20th centuries, 272 00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:45,997 which changed travel and transportation forever. 273 00:12:47,700 --> 00:12:48,899 The Titanic was the largest, 274 00:12:48,968 --> 00:12:52,003 when it sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. 275 00:12:53,106 --> 00:12:56,841 But the RMS Queen Elizabeth, launched in 1938, 276 00:12:56,909 --> 00:12:59,010 was the biggest steam ship ever built. 277 00:13:00,180 --> 00:13:01,646 We know the smaller vessels designed to navigate 278 00:13:01,715 --> 00:13:05,116 rivers and lakes as steamboats. 279 00:13:05,185 --> 00:13:08,853 It was in New York in 1807 that Robert Fulton's Clermont 280 00:13:08,921 --> 00:13:10,588 offered the first successful commercial 281 00:13:10,657 --> 00:13:12,991 steam boat service in the world. 282 00:13:14,327 --> 00:13:16,995 Today there are only a few working steam boats in America. 283 00:13:18,130 --> 00:13:21,132 In New Orleans, the Natchez provides a reminder 284 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,002 of the golden age of steam boating on the Mississippi. 285 00:13:26,072 --> 00:13:29,941 While the boat is a re-creation, built in 1975, 286 00:13:30,009 --> 00:13:31,409 the enormous steam engines are hand me downs 287 00:13:31,478 --> 00:13:33,011 from a bygone era. 288 00:13:35,215 --> 00:13:38,883 - These engines that you see right here were built in 1925. 289 00:13:38,952 --> 00:13:41,886 They were built for the steam boat Clairton, 290 00:13:42,088 --> 00:13:44,289 which was a push boat for the U.S. Steel Company 291 00:13:44,491 --> 00:13:44,989 in Pennsylvania. 292 00:13:47,093 --> 00:13:50,494 - It wasn't unusual for steam boats to get machinery 293 00:13:50,564 --> 00:13:51,896 from the previous vessel. 294 00:13:51,965 --> 00:13:54,899 The wooden boats only lasted a short time, 295 00:13:54,968 --> 00:13:56,834 and the machinery would quite often be moved 296 00:13:56,903 --> 00:13:59,003 from one older vessel onto the new one. 297 00:13:59,906 --> 00:14:00,839 - [Narrator] Both engines work in tandem 298 00:14:01,041 --> 00:14:03,574 to move the huge arms that turn the 26 ton 299 00:14:03,643 --> 00:14:05,843 oak and steel paddle wheel. 300 00:14:05,912 --> 00:14:07,779 The total maximum output of the two engines 301 00:14:07,981 --> 00:14:10,982 is equivalent to about 1600 horse power. 302 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,120 The boilers that supply the steam aren't vintage equipment, 303 00:14:16,188 --> 00:14:19,590 because of safety, economic and environmental reasons. 304 00:14:19,659 --> 00:14:21,659 - The old boats used coal. 305 00:14:21,861 --> 00:14:24,529 Unlike us, we're using diesel fuel. 306 00:14:24,597 --> 00:14:25,129 There are two boilers. 307 00:14:25,198 --> 00:14:25,997 We only use one at a time. 308 00:14:27,934 --> 00:14:29,534 - [Narrator] Not all the steam produced 309 00:14:29,736 --> 00:14:30,935 heads right to the engines. 310 00:14:31,004 --> 00:14:33,537 One small pipe goes up to the top of the boat. 311 00:14:33,606 --> 00:14:36,807 (steam whistle blowing) 312 00:14:36,877 --> 00:14:38,676 - The few boats that are in service now 313 00:14:38,744 --> 00:14:41,079 have a very distinctive whistle. 314 00:14:41,147 --> 00:14:42,813 Most steam boat people can automatically hear them 315 00:14:42,883 --> 00:14:44,983 and know what exact boat they're from. 316 00:14:46,019 --> 00:14:47,885 - [Narrator] A whistle isn't the only way 317 00:14:47,954 --> 00:14:49,754 to get people's attention on this boat. 318 00:14:49,823 --> 00:14:51,556 Another pipe runs across the top deck 319 00:14:51,758 --> 00:14:53,992 to supply steam to the calliope. 320 00:14:55,294 --> 00:14:58,629 - The first thing you have to do is clear the condensation 321 00:14:58,698 --> 00:14:59,998 that's built up in the whistles. 322 00:15:01,768 --> 00:15:03,901 We have 32 keys on our keyboard. 323 00:15:03,970 --> 00:15:07,037 Each key corresponds to a steam whistle. 324 00:15:07,106 --> 00:15:09,774 The steam organ was patented by Joshua C. Stoddard 325 00:15:09,843 --> 00:15:13,778 of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1856. 326 00:15:13,847 --> 00:15:15,045 His brother was a river boat captain. 327 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,915 He gave it to his brother, who put it on the boat, 328 00:15:17,984 --> 00:15:20,852 and it became a principal means of advertising 329 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,387 and welcoming passengers aboard steamboats 330 00:15:23,456 --> 00:15:25,056 by the late 1850s. 331 00:15:25,258 --> 00:15:30,461 It was later named calliope for the Greek muse of voice. 332 00:15:30,530 --> 00:15:31,796 (steam organ playing) 333 00:15:31,864 --> 00:15:33,464 I'm gonna close this act with a theme 334 00:15:33,666 --> 00:15:36,000 you should all recognize. 335 00:15:36,602 --> 00:15:40,004 (steam organ playing) 336 00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:46,544 - [Narrator] Trains, boats and steam cars 337 00:15:46,746 --> 00:15:48,812 created a more mobile world. 338 00:15:48,881 --> 00:15:51,015 But just as important was steam's role 339 00:15:51,083 --> 00:15:52,984 in the factories of the industrial revolution. 340 00:15:53,953 --> 00:15:57,088 Jay Leno decided to go back 150 years 341 00:15:57,290 --> 00:16:01,892 and see what some old, but proven technology had to offer. 342 00:16:01,961 --> 00:16:03,761 He acquired a Wright stationary steam engine, 343 00:16:03,830 --> 00:16:06,564 built in the 1860s, and installed it 344 00:16:06,766 --> 00:16:08,632 in his huge automotive garage. 345 00:16:08,702 --> 00:16:09,633 - Abraham Lincoln was president 346 00:16:09,702 --> 00:16:11,369 when this thing was designed. 347 00:16:11,571 --> 00:16:13,704 It weighs 11 tons. 348 00:16:13,773 --> 00:16:15,906 This flywheel here is three tons. 349 00:16:15,975 --> 00:16:18,509 It's built in two pieces, but the rest of it 350 00:16:18,577 --> 00:16:21,178 is all one casting. 351 00:16:21,247 --> 00:16:24,582 - [Narrator] Of course, if you decide to buy a steam engine, 352 00:16:24,784 --> 00:16:26,918 you also need a source of steam. 353 00:16:26,986 --> 00:16:29,587 - We've got a modern Clayton steam generator. 354 00:16:29,655 --> 00:16:30,587 It's a little complicated. 355 00:16:30,656 --> 00:16:31,589 Bernard has the cheat sheet. 356 00:16:31,658 --> 00:16:32,923 Get the cheat sheet, Bernard. 357 00:16:32,993 --> 00:16:35,059 We always want to make sure we fire this thing 358 00:16:35,128 --> 00:16:37,595 right up properly, because it's a lot of vales to open 359 00:16:37,663 --> 00:16:38,930 and things you have to do. 360 00:16:38,998 --> 00:16:40,597 - First step, we've got to check the water 361 00:16:40,666 --> 00:16:41,666 in the header tank up there. 362 00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:42,733 - [Jay] The header tank looks good. 363 00:16:42,802 --> 00:16:43,734 We've got water in the header tank. 364 00:16:43,803 --> 00:16:45,203 - [Bernard] We've got it on, okay. 365 00:16:45,271 --> 00:16:47,872 - [Narrator] Next, Jay and Bernard open a series of valves 366 00:16:47,941 --> 00:16:50,074 to get the water flowing through the system. 367 00:16:50,276 --> 00:16:51,876 - [Bernard] So that's starting to look pretty good there. 368 00:16:51,945 --> 00:16:54,679 Let's push the till run button over there, 369 00:16:54,747 --> 00:16:57,414 and we'll get some fire going. 370 00:16:57,483 --> 00:16:58,416 - Aye, captain. 371 00:16:58,484 --> 00:16:59,483 - Now we're waiting for steam to come out 372 00:16:59,552 --> 00:17:01,986 of that pipe up on top. 373 00:17:03,689 --> 00:17:04,989 - There she blows, captain. 374 00:17:07,093 --> 00:17:09,894 Now that we've got steam, let's go back inside. 375 00:17:09,963 --> 00:17:12,764 - Luckily this thing operates on natural gas 376 00:17:12,966 --> 00:17:15,500 so I don't have to shovel coal all day. 377 00:17:15,568 --> 00:17:16,000 That wouldn't do it. 378 00:17:18,037 --> 00:17:20,571 - As you can see, we've got almost 140 pounds 379 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:21,906 of steam pressure, much more 380 00:17:21,974 --> 00:17:23,975 than this would have run on in its time. 381 00:17:24,177 --> 00:17:27,578 So let's open our valve here and see what happens. 382 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:29,013 And everything starts moving. 383 00:17:31,051 --> 00:17:32,583 I still get a kick out of this each time it starts. 384 00:17:32,651 --> 00:17:33,651 It's always amazing to me. 385 00:17:33,719 --> 00:17:35,586 You know, we're so used to, rrr, 386 00:17:35,788 --> 00:17:37,721 and machines starting machines. 387 00:17:37,790 --> 00:17:38,990 The fact that this runs so quietly. 388 00:17:42,061 --> 00:17:43,861 - [Narrator] One reason this 11 ton single piston 389 00:17:43,930 --> 00:17:46,730 Wright steam engine does run so quietly 390 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,065 is that Jay installed a seven ton 391 00:17:48,134 --> 00:17:51,002 perfectly level cement base for the engine to rest on. 392 00:17:52,272 --> 00:17:55,606 - If you're a little off, your piston will eat into the bore 393 00:17:55,675 --> 00:17:57,075 and wear your cylinder out. 394 00:17:57,277 --> 00:17:59,610 So that's the real trick, making sure everything is level 395 00:17:59,679 --> 00:18:02,013 and smooth and moves freely. 396 00:18:03,950 --> 00:18:04,548 - [Narrator] So far, Jay hasn't put 397 00:18:04,617 --> 00:18:05,983 his steam engine to work. 398 00:18:07,019 --> 00:18:08,820 Back in the steam age, the rotating flywheel 399 00:18:09,022 --> 00:18:10,888 would run a big belt to transfer its power 400 00:18:10,957 --> 00:18:13,991 to saws and other mill or factory machinery. 401 00:18:15,895 --> 00:18:17,828 - This is what the Luddites were afraid of. 402 00:18:17,897 --> 00:18:18,629 You've all heard the expression Luddites, 403 00:18:18,698 --> 00:18:20,765 people who don't like technology. 404 00:18:20,833 --> 00:18:22,766 But you realize a machine like this 405 00:18:22,836 --> 00:18:26,170 would probably replace 100 men working. 406 00:18:26,239 --> 00:18:29,974 It was 125 horse power, which doesn't seem like much now. 407 00:18:30,042 --> 00:18:31,842 We have engines this big to make 125 horse power. 408 00:18:31,911 --> 00:18:34,579 But back in the day, this was almost 409 00:18:34,781 --> 00:18:36,013 like space shuttle technology. 410 00:18:38,184 --> 00:18:39,183 - [Narrator] What makes old steam engines fascinating 411 00:18:39,252 --> 00:18:41,986 in this age of electronics, are the rhythmic sounds 412 00:18:43,656 --> 00:18:45,990 and the enormous moving parts, 413 00:18:46,058 --> 00:18:48,993 a potential hazard in 19th century factories. 414 00:18:49,862 --> 00:18:51,862 - There was no OSHA back in the day. 415 00:18:51,931 --> 00:18:53,797 There was no health and safety standards. 416 00:18:53,866 --> 00:18:54,932 A guy would go, "Hey, I'll fix it." 417 00:18:55,001 --> 00:18:57,935 Pshow, and that was pretty much the end of it. 418 00:18:58,004 --> 00:19:00,404 - [Narrator] Next, Jay starts up his even older 419 00:19:00,473 --> 00:19:03,073 1832 steam engine. 420 00:19:03,143 --> 00:19:05,876 - Give it a little bit of a push here to get it going, 421 00:19:05,945 --> 00:19:09,413 to get it over center, and there she goes. 422 00:19:09,482 --> 00:19:12,683 (levers clicking) 423 00:19:12,751 --> 00:19:13,617 As you can see, there's kind of 424 00:19:13,686 --> 00:19:15,753 a quiet elegance to these things. 425 00:19:15,822 --> 00:19:16,954 This is what they call a walking beam 426 00:19:17,023 --> 00:19:19,557 because it's a beam and it looks like it's walking. 427 00:19:19,759 --> 00:19:21,826 It's pretty self-explanatory. 428 00:19:22,028 --> 00:19:24,829 This ran a color and dye factory in England 429 00:19:24,897 --> 00:19:27,030 back in the early 1800s, and I'm told 430 00:19:27,099 --> 00:19:30,701 this engine ran for almost 100 years continuously, 431 00:19:30,770 --> 00:19:32,436 just like this, chug, chug, chug. 432 00:19:32,505 --> 00:19:33,004 That's what it did. 433 00:19:35,108 --> 00:19:37,108 - [Narrator] The engine isn't entirely original, 434 00:19:37,176 --> 00:19:38,576 but there's a good reason the oilers were added later 435 00:19:38,645 --> 00:19:40,011 to make lubrication easier. 436 00:19:41,447 --> 00:19:42,580 - This is 1832. 437 00:19:42,649 --> 00:19:44,849 How did they lubricate them? 438 00:19:44,917 --> 00:19:47,050 What you'd do is you'd bring a pig in, 439 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:48,786 they'd slaughter a pig, they'd rub the greasy parts 440 00:19:48,988 --> 00:19:51,588 all over the metal, run it for a while. 441 00:19:51,657 --> 00:19:52,990 "Hey, we need another pig." 442 00:19:53,059 --> 00:19:54,592 Bring another pig in, they'd slaughter another pig, 443 00:19:54,661 --> 00:19:56,793 rub the greasy parts all over, 444 00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:58,596 and probably ate a lot of pork chops. 445 00:19:58,665 --> 00:19:59,663 That's probably what they did. 446 00:19:59,732 --> 00:20:01,799 Luckily, we don't do that anymore. 447 00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:03,867 - [Narrator] Centripetal force causes 448 00:20:03,936 --> 00:20:05,869 these circulating balls to flare outward. 449 00:20:05,938 --> 00:20:08,005 They're the engine's main safety feature. 450 00:20:10,009 --> 00:20:12,076 - The faster you go, the higher this rises, 451 00:20:12,145 --> 00:20:14,879 which moves that lever, which controls your throttle. 452 00:20:14,947 --> 00:20:16,747 If you hear the expression balls out, 453 00:20:16,816 --> 00:20:19,150 it doesn't mean what you think, okay? 454 00:20:19,218 --> 00:20:20,751 What it means is your balls are running all the way out, 455 00:20:20,820 --> 00:20:22,687 your engine is running at full speed, 456 00:20:22,889 --> 00:20:23,887 and to keep them from over-revving it 457 00:20:23,956 --> 00:20:26,823 and breaking your motor, it essentially works 458 00:20:26,892 --> 00:20:29,426 as a governor, it limits how much throttle 459 00:20:29,495 --> 00:20:30,895 you can put into it. 460 00:20:30,963 --> 00:20:32,830 - [Narrator] Jay's engines may be antiques, 461 00:20:33,032 --> 00:20:34,999 but steam is still a vital source of power. 462 00:20:36,836 --> 00:20:40,905 - All your nuclear subs run on steam. 463 00:20:40,973 --> 00:20:44,842 Steam turbines run a lot of power plants. 464 00:20:45,044 --> 00:20:48,012 Steam is still a force to be reckoned with. 465 00:20:50,049 --> 00:20:51,782 - [Narrator] Coal, natural gas and nuclear energy 466 00:20:51,851 --> 00:20:54,852 all create steam, but there's a more 467 00:20:55,054 --> 00:20:56,520 environmentally-friendly way to turn the turbines 468 00:20:56,589 --> 00:20:57,989 that generate electricity. 469 00:21:00,259 --> 00:21:03,060 Yellowstone National Park's spurting and gushing geysers 470 00:21:03,128 --> 00:21:05,463 are examples of the volatile subterranean interaction 471 00:21:05,531 --> 00:21:06,998 of heat and water. 472 00:21:08,267 --> 00:21:11,002 Another is the biggest steam explosion in U.S. history, 473 00:21:12,004 --> 00:21:14,805 the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens 474 00:21:14,874 --> 00:21:18,876 in Washington state, on May 18th, 1980. 475 00:21:19,078 --> 00:21:21,945 Inside the volcano, water hit superheated rock 476 00:21:22,014 --> 00:21:24,682 and flashed into steam with the explosive force 477 00:21:24,750 --> 00:21:28,752 of about 20 million tons of TNT. 478 00:21:28,821 --> 00:21:31,488 The blast devastated 150 square miles 479 00:21:31,557 --> 00:21:33,891 of forest in six minutes. 480 00:21:33,959 --> 00:21:36,894 That's the power of steam uncontrolled. 481 00:21:37,096 --> 00:21:39,496 Elsewhere, that natural power is being harnessed 482 00:21:39,565 --> 00:21:41,165 to produce electricity. 483 00:21:42,034 --> 00:21:44,034 The first geothermal power plants in the U.S. 484 00:21:44,103 --> 00:21:47,638 were built in 1962, at the Geysers dry steam field, 485 00:21:47,707 --> 00:21:50,007 located in northern California. 486 00:21:51,110 --> 00:21:52,977 It's still the largest producing geothermal field 487 00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:56,847 in the world, using high temperature dry steam 488 00:21:56,916 --> 00:21:58,983 as the resource to generate electricity. 489 00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:03,854 In dry steam power plants, the steam shoots up 490 00:22:04,056 --> 00:22:07,058 from the wells and is used to turn turbines, 491 00:22:07,260 --> 00:22:09,860 while most other geothermal plants, called flash plants, 492 00:22:09,929 --> 00:22:12,463 use naturally occurring superheated water 493 00:22:12,532 --> 00:22:13,998 as a source of steam. 494 00:22:17,937 --> 00:22:20,738 In southern California's Imperial Valley, 495 00:22:20,807 --> 00:22:23,073 along the shore of the Salton Sea, 496 00:22:23,142 --> 00:22:26,010 the CalEnergy company currently has 10 flash plants, 497 00:22:26,212 --> 00:22:30,014 all situated over a hot bed of geothermal activity. 498 00:22:31,150 --> 00:22:33,884 - On those 10 plants, we're generating 340 megawatts 499 00:22:34,086 --> 00:22:37,421 of power, which equates to about 333,000 homes 500 00:22:37,489 --> 00:22:38,756 that it powers. 501 00:22:38,825 --> 00:22:41,091 We sell, on long-term power contracts, 502 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,994 to utilities throughout southern California and Arizona. 503 00:22:45,030 --> 00:22:46,831 - [Narrator] Just like the Salton Sea above, 504 00:22:47,033 --> 00:22:50,567 the water below the ground is very salty. 505 00:22:50,636 --> 00:22:52,002 It's referred to as brine. 506 00:22:53,106 --> 00:22:56,907 Geothermal production wells, similar to oil wells, 507 00:22:56,975 --> 00:23:00,110 drill down thousands of feet to tap into 508 00:23:00,179 --> 00:23:03,581 the more than 360 degree Fahrenheit reservoirs of brine 509 00:23:03,649 --> 00:23:04,982 trapped in the bedrock. 510 00:23:07,052 --> 00:23:09,519 Tremendous pressure causes the superheated brine 511 00:23:09,588 --> 00:23:10,988 to rush to the surface. 512 00:23:12,925 --> 00:23:15,526 - This is Vonderahe One production well. 513 00:23:15,728 --> 00:23:17,795 Vonderahe One was recognized 514 00:23:17,997 --> 00:23:20,064 by the World Geothermal Resources Council 515 00:23:20,266 --> 00:23:23,667 as being the most prolific geothermal well in the world. 516 00:23:23,870 --> 00:23:25,869 Don't let all that noise scare you. 517 00:23:25,938 --> 00:23:28,939 These yellow bars are actually restraints, 518 00:23:29,007 --> 00:23:30,808 because the well head was moving so much, 519 00:23:30,876 --> 00:23:34,011 and it was a little too prolific. 520 00:23:35,013 --> 00:23:36,881 - [Narrator] The hot brine from the wells 521 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,818 flows through pipes into large cylindrical tanks. 522 00:23:40,886 --> 00:23:41,885 This part of the process is why this type 523 00:23:41,954 --> 00:23:44,989 of geothermal plant is called a flash plant. 524 00:23:46,091 --> 00:23:48,893 - As the pressure is lowered inside the vessel, 525 00:23:49,095 --> 00:23:51,695 steam is flashed, similar to what you would see 526 00:23:51,898 --> 00:23:54,832 in a pressure cooker in your home. 527 00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:56,567 As the steam is flashed, it's routed 528 00:23:56,636 --> 00:23:58,769 from the top of the vessel. 529 00:23:58,971 --> 00:24:02,973 The brine water that remains is exiting 530 00:24:03,042 --> 00:24:06,376 on the bottom half so that there's no contamination 531 00:24:06,445 --> 00:24:07,011 between the two. 532 00:24:08,114 --> 00:24:09,846 - [Narrator] The steam without salts is then routed 533 00:24:09,915 --> 00:24:12,583 to turn the blades inside the turbines 534 00:24:12,651 --> 00:24:13,984 that generate electricity. 535 00:24:17,055 --> 00:24:18,923 While the steam is used to turn the turbines, 536 00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:21,992 the remaining liquid that didn't flash into steam 537 00:24:22,061 --> 00:24:25,061 is pumped away from the plants to injection wells 538 00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:28,666 that recycle it back into the underground reservoirs. 539 00:24:28,868 --> 00:24:30,868 - We re-inject 80% of all the fluid 540 00:24:30,937 --> 00:24:32,802 that we pull out in the production system, 541 00:24:32,872 --> 00:24:36,073 so we're self sustaining the reservoir. 542 00:24:36,142 --> 00:24:39,075 - [Narrator] Geologists estimate there's approximately 543 00:24:39,144 --> 00:24:42,079 2000 megawatts of power still untapped in the area, 544 00:24:42,148 --> 00:24:44,982 enough energy to supply about two million more homes. 545 00:24:48,954 --> 00:24:52,089 They're the heavy lifters and big movers, 546 00:24:52,157 --> 00:24:55,358 but they get gunky and grimy and need to be cleaned. 547 00:24:55,427 --> 00:24:55,993 What can you do? 548 00:24:57,096 --> 00:24:59,896 The Sioux Corporation of South Dakota has the answer. 549 00:24:59,965 --> 00:25:01,999 Roll out one of its steam cleaning units, 550 00:25:03,236 --> 00:25:08,005 attach a water supply, fire up the boiler, and blast away. 551 00:25:08,507 --> 00:25:11,008 (steam hissing) 552 00:25:12,311 --> 00:25:16,447 - Steam is just a fantastic way to remove grease and dirt 553 00:25:16,649 --> 00:25:18,782 from heavy equipment. 554 00:25:18,851 --> 00:25:19,983 - [Narrator] This steam cleaning unit 555 00:25:20,052 --> 00:25:22,986 has a diesel tank that supplies fuel to the burner. 556 00:25:23,055 --> 00:25:25,789 The upper portion is called a water tube boiler. 557 00:25:25,858 --> 00:25:28,058 Hot air produced by the burners below 558 00:25:28,260 --> 00:25:31,996 circulates around two coils of water-filled steel pipe, 559 00:25:32,064 --> 00:25:34,932 up through the center, down between the coils, 560 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,401 the up the outside, before exhausting out 561 00:25:37,603 --> 00:25:39,003 the top of the unit. 562 00:25:39,205 --> 00:25:41,805 - To build one of these coils, we take 200 feet of pipe 563 00:25:41,874 --> 00:25:46,076 and wind it on a drum into a cylinder, 564 00:25:46,145 --> 00:25:48,879 and then we wind a smaller one for the inner cylinder 565 00:25:49,081 --> 00:25:52,015 of another 100 feet, for a total of 300 feet 566 00:25:52,084 --> 00:25:55,819 of pipe that's all wound together and welded together 567 00:25:55,888 --> 00:25:59,089 to have one continuous pass of 300 feet. 568 00:25:59,157 --> 00:26:01,892 When the water passes through this 300 feet of pipe, 569 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,827 it starts out at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 570 00:26:03,896 --> 00:26:06,830 and ends up at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 571 00:26:06,898 --> 00:26:07,898 - [Narrator] The hot pressurized water 572 00:26:07,966 --> 00:26:09,766 flows out of the boiler through the hose, 573 00:26:09,835 --> 00:26:12,002 and discharges from the steam nozzle. 574 00:26:13,305 --> 00:26:16,906 These machines are designed so that only 15% of the water 575 00:26:16,976 --> 00:26:19,009 flashes into steam as it exits the nozzle. 576 00:26:20,713 --> 00:26:23,781 The 85% water, 15% steam ratio 577 00:26:23,849 --> 00:26:25,716 provides the best cleaning power. 578 00:26:25,918 --> 00:26:28,585 The tremendous expansion of the steam 579 00:26:28,654 --> 00:26:29,853 accelerates the water droplets 580 00:26:30,056 --> 00:26:32,990 so that they bombard the surface to be cleaned. 581 00:26:34,994 --> 00:26:35,993 Pressure washers that just use hot water 582 00:26:36,195 --> 00:26:38,729 aren't as effective when dealing with grease and grime, 583 00:26:38,798 --> 00:26:42,466 and 100% steam would melt the grease, 584 00:26:42,535 --> 00:26:44,068 but not wash it away. 585 00:26:44,136 --> 00:26:46,804 - In addition to cleaning heavy equipment like this, 586 00:26:47,006 --> 00:26:48,672 there are other uses for steam cleaners, 587 00:26:48,874 --> 00:26:51,074 such as blasting away snow and ice. 588 00:26:51,143 --> 00:26:54,944 It'll clean gum, sticky substances off of sidewalks. 589 00:26:55,014 --> 00:26:58,749 It can be used to clean just about anything. 590 00:26:58,817 --> 00:26:59,616 - [Narrator] The Sioux corporation 591 00:26:59,685 --> 00:27:01,618 manufactures both steam cleaning 592 00:27:01,687 --> 00:27:03,887 and steam generating machines. 593 00:27:04,090 --> 00:27:06,823 The heart of each machine is a reliable boiler. 594 00:27:06,892 --> 00:27:09,893 Workers make so-called fire tube boilers 595 00:27:09,962 --> 00:27:13,096 to go inside the company's steam generators. 596 00:27:13,165 --> 00:27:15,966 Unlike their water tube boiler, in a fire tube boiler, 597 00:27:16,035 --> 00:27:18,702 the heat from the burners travels through the tubes 598 00:27:18,904 --> 00:27:21,905 and boils the water inside the tank. 599 00:27:22,108 --> 00:27:24,908 - And you have it filled with water to this level, 600 00:27:24,977 --> 00:27:27,511 about approximately here, and the water boils 601 00:27:27,713 --> 00:27:29,046 just like in a tea kettle, 602 00:27:29,114 --> 00:27:31,015 and the steam comes out the exhaust right here. 603 00:27:32,050 --> 00:27:35,853 - We're testing our SF20 boiler right now. 604 00:27:35,921 --> 00:27:37,988 You'll see the steam start pouring out. 605 00:27:39,058 --> 00:27:41,458 This machine will put out about 700 pounds 606 00:27:41,526 --> 00:27:42,726 per hour of steam. 607 00:27:42,928 --> 00:27:44,528 It's running at a temperature of about 608 00:27:44,596 --> 00:27:45,996 240 degrees right now. 609 00:27:48,534 --> 00:27:50,000 (steam hissing) 610 00:27:50,068 --> 00:27:52,936 This is the discharge of our steam generator, 611 00:27:53,004 --> 00:27:55,805 and when it boils inside the steam generator, 612 00:27:55,874 --> 00:27:58,008 it expands at a rate of 1500 times. 613 00:27:58,076 --> 00:28:02,212 So if we start off with one cubic foot of water, 614 00:28:02,281 --> 00:28:05,983 we're gonna have 1500 cubic feet of steam at the discharge. 615 00:28:06,886 --> 00:28:08,752 - [Narrator] Low pressure steam generators 616 00:28:08,954 --> 00:28:11,422 can be used to accelerate concrete curing, 617 00:28:11,624 --> 00:28:12,990 and even sterilize soil. 618 00:28:15,094 --> 00:28:17,361 But what if you've got dirty clothes and wrinkles? 619 00:28:17,429 --> 00:28:19,096 Steam again. 620 00:28:19,165 --> 00:28:22,766 There are about 30,000 dry cleaners in the United States, 621 00:28:22,968 --> 00:28:24,568 including Perfect Cleaners in Los Angeles, 622 00:28:24,637 --> 00:28:26,837 and they all rely on steam. 623 00:28:27,173 --> 00:28:29,773 - Here at this large 3500 square foot dry cleaning plant, 624 00:28:29,842 --> 00:28:33,176 we process over 5000 pieces a week, 625 00:28:33,245 --> 00:28:35,512 and every single one of them comes into contact with steam 626 00:28:35,581 --> 00:28:37,314 in one form or another. 627 00:28:37,516 --> 00:28:38,916 (water spraying) 628 00:28:39,118 --> 00:28:40,851 - [Narrator] The maze of white pipes carries steam 629 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,320 to the various devices throughout the plant 630 00:28:43,522 --> 00:28:43,987 that spew it out. 631 00:28:45,991 --> 00:28:48,992 All the steam comes from the boiler in the back. 632 00:28:49,729 --> 00:28:50,727 - Here we are in the boiler room, 633 00:28:50,796 --> 00:28:52,128 the heart of the dry cleaning plant. 634 00:28:52,197 --> 00:28:54,798 As you can see, I've taken the cover off my boiler here, 635 00:28:54,867 --> 00:28:56,200 and you see the natural gas flaming 636 00:28:56,268 --> 00:29:00,003 and heating these water tubes, creating steam and pressure, 637 00:29:00,206 --> 00:29:03,006 carrying pressure up to 110 pounds per square inch. 638 00:29:04,143 --> 00:29:07,010 - [Narrator] Some of the washers and dryers use steam. 639 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:09,747 When it comes to getting out wrinkles, 640 00:29:09,949 --> 00:29:12,683 steam's heat and humidity have no equal 641 00:29:12,885 --> 00:29:14,685 in getting the kinks out of cloth. 642 00:29:14,887 --> 00:29:16,086 - This is a steam air form finisher, 643 00:29:16,155 --> 00:29:19,022 otherwise known as a Suzie in the dry cleaning business. 644 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:21,891 I'm gonna put this wrinkled polo shirt on here, 645 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:22,959 push the button, we're gonna have hot steam 646 00:29:23,028 --> 00:29:25,162 come out of there, and then hot air to dry it. 647 00:29:25,231 --> 00:29:27,831 This is the first step in the dry cleaning pressing process 648 00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:31,001 before it goes over to a utility press. 649 00:29:33,973 --> 00:29:35,973 - [Narrator] Utility presses emit steam 650 00:29:36,041 --> 00:29:38,842 from both the top and bottom inner surfaces. 651 00:29:38,911 --> 00:29:40,510 Workers also have steam irons available 652 00:29:40,579 --> 00:29:43,180 to target specific areas. 653 00:29:43,249 --> 00:29:45,983 - This is our largest press, also known as a hot head press. 654 00:29:46,051 --> 00:29:47,851 This large metal surface is filled with steam, 655 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:51,455 gets up to a temperature of 300 plus degrees. 656 00:29:51,523 --> 00:29:52,589 It is dry, though. 657 00:29:52,791 --> 00:29:54,057 When she brings the press down, 658 00:29:54,260 --> 00:29:56,927 she'll press this wet sheet here with some bottom steam, 659 00:29:56,995 --> 00:29:59,529 and it'll give the sheet a nice crisp finish 660 00:29:59,598 --> 00:30:00,998 without using any starch. 661 00:30:04,069 --> 00:30:06,536 - [Narrator] Wrinkles aren't the only laundry problem 662 00:30:06,605 --> 00:30:08,005 that steam can obliterate. 663 00:30:08,874 --> 00:30:11,541 - We use here steam to remove stains, 664 00:30:11,610 --> 00:30:14,611 and this is how we do it. 665 00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:16,012 I put it on the spotting board, 666 00:30:16,081 --> 00:30:18,749 take my spotting gun, which shoots steam through it, 667 00:30:18,951 --> 00:30:21,084 and I can use a variety of distance, 668 00:30:21,152 --> 00:30:24,554 depending on the garment, so I don't damage the fabric 669 00:30:24,623 --> 00:30:27,291 or the color on the garment. 670 00:30:27,493 --> 00:30:29,092 (steam spraying) 671 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:34,698 The steam is allowing me to remove the stain as I go. 672 00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:36,767 - [Narrator] While one small boiler can supply the steam 673 00:30:36,969 --> 00:30:40,103 for this cleaning business, in New York, 674 00:30:40,306 --> 00:30:43,974 enormous boilers send steam surging under the city streets 675 00:30:44,176 --> 00:30:47,010 and into some of the world's most famous skyscrapers. 676 00:30:47,646 --> 00:30:49,012 Unless things go wrong. 677 00:30:54,787 --> 00:30:55,919 What do the Empire State Building, 678 00:30:55,987 --> 00:30:57,921 the Chrysler Building, the United Nations, 679 00:30:57,989 --> 00:30:59,723 along with hospitals and hundreds of other 680 00:30:59,925 --> 00:31:02,059 Manhattan businesses have in common? 681 00:31:02,127 --> 00:31:05,194 Instead of having big boilers in their basements, 682 00:31:05,264 --> 00:31:08,598 they receive steam from one of Consolidated Edison Company's 683 00:31:08,667 --> 00:31:10,800 six steam generation stations, 684 00:31:10,869 --> 00:31:13,003 the largest steam system in the world. 685 00:31:15,007 --> 00:31:16,139 - Over the course of a year, they're putting 686 00:31:16,208 --> 00:31:19,943 30 billion pounds of steam into the Con Ed steam system. 687 00:31:20,012 --> 00:31:23,079 It's sent out into 105 miles of underground pipe 688 00:31:23,148 --> 00:31:25,415 throughout Manhattan, going from the tip of Manhattan 689 00:31:25,484 --> 00:31:26,750 up to 96th Street. 690 00:31:26,818 --> 00:31:29,352 We service nearly 1800 customers. 691 00:31:29,421 --> 00:31:31,088 (upbeat music) 692 00:31:31,290 --> 00:31:34,024 - [Narrator] The 74th Street Con Ed steam generating plant 693 00:31:34,226 --> 00:31:37,895 alone puts out about 2 million pounds of steam per hour. 694 00:31:38,097 --> 00:31:39,896 - [Charles] We have three high pressure boilers 695 00:31:39,965 --> 00:31:42,031 here at 74th Street, and we create a fireball 696 00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:44,835 inside the boiler, which heats up 60 thousand gallons 697 00:31:45,037 --> 00:31:49,505 per hour of water, which goes up to the drum, 698 00:31:49,574 --> 00:31:50,841 that flashes into steam. 699 00:31:51,043 --> 00:31:53,443 - Each of our three high pressure boilers 700 00:31:53,512 --> 00:31:54,578 has two steam drums. 701 00:31:54,780 --> 00:31:57,914 They produce approximately 450 thousand pounds of steam 702 00:31:57,983 --> 00:32:00,717 per hour, at a temperature of 800 degrees. 703 00:32:00,919 --> 00:32:03,987 Each drum extends back 25 to 30 feet, 704 00:32:04,055 --> 00:32:05,856 so you're only seeing the face of it right here. 705 00:32:05,924 --> 00:32:08,124 - [Narrator] In a central control room, 706 00:32:08,193 --> 00:32:10,527 workers carefully monitor both the steam production process 707 00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:12,662 and the delivery system. 708 00:32:12,731 --> 00:32:15,866 - We produce steam at 800 psi, 709 00:32:15,934 --> 00:32:19,803 and a high temperature of 840 degrees. 710 00:32:20,005 --> 00:32:21,939 For the safety of the steam system unit, 711 00:32:22,141 --> 00:32:26,943 we reduce that pressure to 200 psi and 410 degrees, 712 00:32:27,012 --> 00:32:29,746 which we send out in the underground pipes. 713 00:32:29,815 --> 00:32:31,881 - This is our steam mimic system. 714 00:32:31,951 --> 00:32:35,485 This system monitors over 105 miles of piping 715 00:32:35,553 --> 00:32:36,886 in the steam system. 716 00:32:36,955 --> 00:32:37,887 It monitors the pressure in the steam system, 717 00:32:37,957 --> 00:32:40,957 so if there is a problem anywhere in the system 718 00:32:41,026 --> 00:32:43,026 throughout Manhattan, we'll know immediately 719 00:32:43,228 --> 00:32:45,495 where that problem is, and we can dispatch crews there 720 00:32:45,564 --> 00:32:45,996 to correct the problem. 721 00:32:47,766 --> 00:32:48,698 - [Narrator] Con Edison has been 722 00:32:48,767 --> 00:32:51,034 in the steam business since 1930. 723 00:32:51,103 --> 00:32:53,370 The underground pipe responsible for this explosion 724 00:32:53,439 --> 00:32:55,839 was laid in 1923. 725 00:32:56,041 --> 00:32:58,041 It was part of the pre-existing steam system 726 00:32:58,110 --> 00:33:01,644 Con Edison purchased that first began supplying steam 727 00:33:01,714 --> 00:33:04,014 to Manhattan customers in 1882. 728 00:33:05,850 --> 00:33:07,985 Does that mean steam is outdated? 729 00:33:09,454 --> 00:33:10,854 Not a chance. 730 00:33:10,923 --> 00:33:13,724 The Hearst Tower, considered technologically 731 00:33:13,926 --> 00:33:15,792 and environmentally state of the art, 732 00:33:15,860 --> 00:33:17,861 is one of Con Edison's customers, 733 00:33:18,063 --> 00:33:19,862 - We're in the basement of the Hearst Tower, 734 00:33:19,931 --> 00:33:22,866 where the steam from the Con Edison plant 735 00:33:22,935 --> 00:33:24,601 comes in through the street, in this pipe, 736 00:33:24,670 --> 00:33:29,005 at 175 pounds per square inch. 737 00:33:29,074 --> 00:33:32,009 It then gets reduced through the control panel here 738 00:33:32,211 --> 00:33:36,680 to 60 pounds, ultimately getting reduced to 15 pounds, 739 00:33:36,882 --> 00:33:39,615 and it then supplies all the heat 740 00:33:39,684 --> 00:33:40,984 and hot water to the building. 741 00:33:42,154 --> 00:33:45,088 - [Narrator] Inside the building's 10 story high atrium, 742 00:33:45,157 --> 00:33:48,825 there are no old-fashioned radiators or hot air vents. 743 00:33:48,894 --> 00:33:50,827 Instead, the heat derived from the steam 744 00:33:50,896 --> 00:33:53,896 flows in tubes under the tile flooring, 745 00:33:53,965 --> 00:33:55,365 creating a comfortable ambient temperature 746 00:33:55,567 --> 00:33:57,834 in the huge space. 747 00:33:57,902 --> 00:33:59,969 - The steam that we use is calculated 748 00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:02,105 in these meters here that Con Edison comes to read. 749 00:34:02,174 --> 00:34:05,909 We're using far less steam than was originally projected 750 00:34:06,111 --> 00:34:09,179 due to the efficiency of our heating systems. 751 00:34:09,248 --> 00:34:11,914 - [Narrator] While Con Ed boils water to provide steam heat, 752 00:34:11,983 --> 00:34:14,384 the goal of other companies is to turn steam 753 00:34:14,452 --> 00:34:16,720 back into water. 754 00:34:16,922 --> 00:34:19,055 This facility processes and packages 755 00:34:19,124 --> 00:34:21,992 a variety of water products, including distilled water. 756 00:34:23,862 --> 00:34:25,595 Distillation involves boiling water 757 00:34:25,664 --> 00:34:27,998 and vaporizing it into steam. 758 00:34:28,066 --> 00:34:30,067 Boiling sterilizes the water, and when the steam 759 00:34:30,269 --> 00:34:34,004 lifts out of it, salts and other solids are left behind. 760 00:34:35,207 --> 00:34:38,141 Then the steam is cooled, and when it condenses back 761 00:34:38,209 --> 00:34:42,012 into liquid form, it's as close to pure H2O as possible. 762 00:34:43,949 --> 00:34:46,616 While distillation can produce clean water 763 00:34:46,685 --> 00:34:47,951 from a very contaminated source, 764 00:34:48,153 --> 00:34:50,987 this process begins with the municipal water supply. 765 00:34:52,757 --> 00:34:54,891 - It arrives in the pipe above, 766 00:34:55,093 --> 00:34:57,761 fairly directly from the Sierras, as it turns out, 767 00:34:57,829 --> 00:34:59,429 but we treat it before processing 768 00:34:59,631 --> 00:35:01,831 through the distilled. 769 00:35:01,900 --> 00:35:03,633 First, we run it through some sand filters 770 00:35:03,702 --> 00:35:05,034 to take out particulate matter. 771 00:35:05,103 --> 00:35:08,171 We run it through carbon filters to take out chlorine 772 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:11,508 that might be present, and then we run it through softeners 773 00:35:11,577 --> 00:35:12,909 to take out the hardness. 774 00:35:12,978 --> 00:35:15,912 All this is done to provide very clean water 775 00:35:15,981 --> 00:35:18,014 before we even enter the distillation process. 776 00:35:19,852 --> 00:35:20,850 - [Narrator] To eliminate any contaminants 777 00:35:20,919 --> 00:35:23,119 picked up in the system, the distilled water 778 00:35:23,188 --> 00:35:26,856 runs through sub-micron filters, and then into a tank 779 00:35:26,925 --> 00:35:29,793 where ozone gas bubbles up through it 780 00:35:29,861 --> 00:35:32,529 to treat any remaining impurities. 781 00:35:32,731 --> 00:35:33,996 Now it's ready for bottling. 782 00:35:34,065 --> 00:35:37,133 - This is about as pure as you can get for water. 783 00:35:37,202 --> 00:35:39,870 It's half a part of so per million of dissolved solids. 784 00:35:40,072 --> 00:35:41,938 - [Narrator] The water in the gallon containers 785 00:35:42,006 --> 00:35:44,073 is an all purpose product that's recommended 786 00:35:44,143 --> 00:35:47,877 for use in steam irons, but compared to regular water, 787 00:35:47,946 --> 00:35:50,013 distilled water is relatively tasteless. 788 00:35:52,150 --> 00:35:54,884 So to bottle drinking water, these tanks add back 789 00:35:54,953 --> 00:35:57,888 brand-specific electrolytes and minerals. 790 00:35:58,090 --> 00:36:01,691 These actually make the water healthier to drink 791 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:02,993 and give it a more appealing taste. 792 00:36:07,566 --> 00:36:08,298 (fun electronic music) 793 00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:09,899 While this plodding mechanized oddity 794 00:36:09,968 --> 00:36:12,034 may look like it just walked off the pages 795 00:36:12,103 --> 00:36:15,438 of a Jules Verne novel, it's actually part of a trend 796 00:36:15,507 --> 00:36:16,006 known as steam punk. 797 00:36:17,976 --> 00:36:20,844 The term has been around since the late 1980s 798 00:36:21,046 --> 00:36:22,845 to label contemporary drawings and objects 799 00:36:22,914 --> 00:36:25,015 designed with a pseudo Victorian bent. 800 00:36:27,185 --> 00:36:29,852 In his garage in a quiet central California neighborhood, 801 00:36:29,922 --> 00:36:33,590 I-Wei Huang began turning his steam punk art 802 00:36:33,659 --> 00:36:36,860 into a steam-powered reality. 803 00:36:37,062 --> 00:36:39,996 - I've drawn steam punk kind of inspired art 804 00:36:40,065 --> 00:36:42,732 pretty much all my life, drawing old robots and stuff 805 00:36:42,934 --> 00:36:46,002 that uses old Victorian technology. 806 00:36:46,070 --> 00:36:48,672 And I put a lot of thought into how, in my work 807 00:36:48,740 --> 00:36:51,007 and the technology behind it, 808 00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:55,011 so much so that I decided that it might actually work. 809 00:36:56,014 --> 00:36:56,880 - [Narrator] I-Wei, who makes a living 810 00:36:57,082 --> 00:37:00,082 working for a video game company, doesn't build 811 00:37:00,151 --> 00:37:04,554 his own parts, and the miniature steam engines he uses 812 00:37:04,622 --> 00:37:05,989 come from hobby stores. 813 00:37:07,158 --> 00:37:09,559 It's the unusual ways he cobbles everything together 814 00:37:09,761 --> 00:37:10,994 that grabs people's attention. 815 00:37:12,630 --> 00:37:13,696 (steam whistle blowing) 816 00:37:13,765 --> 00:37:16,699 - This one actually won the best of show in RoboGames. 817 00:37:16,768 --> 00:37:18,634 It's in the shape of a trilobite, 818 00:37:18,703 --> 00:37:21,504 which is a prehistoric animal. 819 00:37:21,573 --> 00:37:23,106 (steam whistle blowing) 820 00:37:23,175 --> 00:37:27,711 Steam is very intriguing because you get to play with fire, 821 00:37:27,913 --> 00:37:29,112 and you get to play with something 822 00:37:29,180 --> 00:37:31,314 that's a little bit dangerous, a little bit unusual. 823 00:37:31,516 --> 00:37:32,715 It's all visual. 824 00:37:32,784 --> 00:37:34,517 You can see it, you can smell it. 825 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:37,186 So this is the steam rover. 826 00:37:37,255 --> 00:37:41,857 It's basically a steam engine powered, it's six wheel drive, 827 00:37:41,926 --> 00:37:43,994 four wheels steering, low steam machine. 828 00:37:45,997 --> 00:37:48,798 It's one of the more powerful ones I have, 829 00:37:48,867 --> 00:37:51,801 and it's just a blast to drive around. 830 00:37:51,869 --> 00:37:52,802 - [Narrator] Most of I-Wei's engines 831 00:37:53,004 --> 00:37:55,738 sound like tiny locomotives, but this one 832 00:37:55,807 --> 00:37:58,475 makes a distinctly different sound. 833 00:37:58,543 --> 00:38:01,077 (turbine spinning) 834 00:38:01,146 --> 00:38:04,614 - I decided to do a turbine since I've done so many 835 00:38:04,683 --> 00:38:07,751 piston-driven steam machines. 836 00:38:07,953 --> 00:38:10,486 So it was a challenge finding a turbine 837 00:38:10,555 --> 00:38:11,887 that actually works well. 838 00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:15,091 It uses us a lot of steam very, very fast, 839 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,827 and has super high RPM, but not a whole lot of torque, 840 00:38:17,895 --> 00:38:20,897 so a lot of gearing down is required. 841 00:38:20,965 --> 00:38:22,899 The forward reverse is done by a clutch 842 00:38:22,967 --> 00:38:26,636 because the turbine only turns one way. 843 00:38:26,704 --> 00:38:28,104 This is the steam centipede. 844 00:38:28,172 --> 00:38:30,373 It's one of my most complex machines that I've built. 845 00:38:30,442 --> 00:38:32,575 It has 32 legs. 846 00:38:32,778 --> 00:38:35,779 In old science fiction movies, 847 00:38:35,981 --> 00:38:38,114 there's a lot of steam walking machines, 848 00:38:38,182 --> 00:38:41,718 but there's a reason why it's really hard to pull off. 849 00:38:41,787 --> 00:38:43,987 It's just not as efficient as wheels. 850 00:38:46,058 --> 00:38:47,991 - [Narrator] I-Wei has managed to get even his most 851 00:38:48,059 --> 00:38:50,994 complex designs up and running on a small scale. 852 00:38:51,863 --> 00:38:53,062 But what about a full-sized version? 853 00:38:53,131 --> 00:38:58,001 - I would love to see one of these huge steam machines, 854 00:38:58,069 --> 00:39:01,070 something like this, that can carry people around, 855 00:39:01,139 --> 00:39:04,741 but this already scares me that the boilers could fail. 856 00:39:04,943 --> 00:39:07,544 On a big scale, that's not something 857 00:39:07,746 --> 00:39:10,146 that I want to think about. 858 00:39:10,214 --> 00:39:13,015 - [Narrator] But in nearby Oakland, a group of artisans 859 00:39:13,084 --> 00:39:15,952 operating under the Kinetic Steam Works banner, 860 00:39:16,154 --> 00:39:18,154 take on the challenge of dealing with fire and water 861 00:39:18,222 --> 00:39:21,991 on a much bigger scale, with sometimes startling results. 862 00:39:23,428 --> 00:39:25,161 (flame flaring) 863 00:39:25,230 --> 00:39:27,830 - Here at Kinetic Steam Works, we have a complete reverence 864 00:39:27,899 --> 00:39:29,698 for the vintage equipment and the stylings 865 00:39:29,768 --> 00:39:31,901 of the way things used to be done. 866 00:39:31,970 --> 00:39:33,837 We really like to take the vintage equipment 867 00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:36,439 and then use it for contemporary art pieces. 868 00:39:36,507 --> 00:39:38,308 (steam hissing) 869 00:39:39,310 --> 00:39:42,912 - [Narrator] Like their 1920 traction engine named Hortense, 870 00:39:43,114 --> 00:39:44,581 that provided the steam power for a belt drive 871 00:39:44,649 --> 00:39:47,116 that turned a carousel. 872 00:39:47,185 --> 00:39:48,985 - There were actually steam carousels back in the day. 873 00:39:49,054 --> 00:39:51,921 This was a little bit more on an industrial scale, 874 00:39:51,989 --> 00:39:54,724 and it really was a massive belt movement 875 00:39:54,793 --> 00:39:57,994 and gear motion, reciprocating motion 876 00:39:58,196 --> 00:40:00,797 that was as much of a pleasure to ride the carousel 877 00:40:00,999 --> 00:40:02,999 as it was to watch the entire operation. 878 00:40:04,469 --> 00:40:06,803 (steam hissing) 879 00:40:07,005 --> 00:40:08,137 - [Narrator] At the Kinetic Steam Works' 880 00:40:08,206 --> 00:40:11,007 6000 square foot shop, the group fires up a small boiler 881 00:40:11,076 --> 00:40:14,010 to supply steam to some of their smaller projects. 882 00:40:16,013 --> 00:40:17,881 - The boiler is called the Blister by some, 883 00:40:18,083 --> 00:40:19,983 and Little Baby Steamy Pants by some others. 884 00:40:21,152 --> 00:40:24,421 We have a fire box, and right now we're burning 885 00:40:24,623 --> 00:40:26,423 liquid fuel and wood. 886 00:40:26,625 --> 00:40:27,991 Here comes some steam. 887 00:40:30,429 --> 00:40:32,962 (motor running) 888 00:40:33,031 --> 00:40:34,898 - This is a mock up of what might have been used 889 00:40:34,966 --> 00:40:37,767 in a factory at the turn of the century, 890 00:40:37,969 --> 00:40:40,169 the last century, not this closest one, 891 00:40:40,238 --> 00:40:43,840 where you've got steam coming to a small engine like this 892 00:40:43,909 --> 00:40:47,109 and there's a PTO, a power take off here 893 00:40:47,178 --> 00:40:51,447 that the sewing machine operator can tension this belt 894 00:40:51,516 --> 00:40:52,715 or de-tension it. 895 00:40:52,918 --> 00:40:53,583 It just basically takes steam power, 896 00:40:53,652 --> 00:40:55,985 turns it into centripetal force, 897 00:40:56,053 --> 00:40:58,988 and makes the flywheel on the sewing machine work. 898 00:40:59,925 --> 00:41:02,459 - Not everything we do here is practical 899 00:41:02,661 --> 00:41:03,259 at Kinetic Steam Works. 900 00:41:03,328 --> 00:41:06,862 However, art can be a lot of fun. 901 00:41:06,931 --> 00:41:08,598 This is a sculpture that I put together 902 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:10,933 out of old musical instruments. 903 00:41:11,002 --> 00:41:12,868 One of the things that we as an organization did 904 00:41:12,937 --> 00:41:16,138 was restore a steam boat, a paddle wheel 905 00:41:16,208 --> 00:41:19,876 stern wheel steam boat, and it was a beautiful experience. 906 00:41:19,945 --> 00:41:22,879 The artist that we collaborated with, Swoon, 907 00:41:23,081 --> 00:41:26,949 she decorated our vessel, and despite the fact 908 00:41:27,018 --> 00:41:29,552 that it didn't necessarily look like a steam boat 909 00:41:29,754 --> 00:41:31,888 of the 1800s, it ran like one. 910 00:41:31,957 --> 00:41:34,023 - [Narrator] The steam boat now sits quietly 911 00:41:34,091 --> 00:41:36,759 in the back of the shop, while the Steam Works gang 912 00:41:36,828 --> 00:41:37,994 is dreaming up their next project. 913 00:41:40,165 --> 00:41:45,001 In the meantime, let's just blow off a little steam. 914 00:41:45,503 --> 00:41:45,969 (steam hissing) 915 00:41:46,171 --> 00:41:47,370 (steam whistle blowing) 916 00:41:47,439 --> 00:41:50,506 (piston moving) 917 00:41:50,575 --> 00:41:51,307 (water wheel turning) 918 00:41:51,509 --> 00:41:53,376 (engine pumping) 919 00:41:53,445 --> 00:41:54,577 (steam hissing) 920 00:41:54,645 --> 00:41:57,380 (steam whistle blowing) 921 00:41:57,449 --> 00:41:58,514 (car squeaking) 922 00:41:58,583 --> 00:42:00,382 (steam organ playing) 923 00:42:00,451 --> 00:42:01,451 (steam hissing) 924 00:42:01,653 --> 00:42:04,520 (steam whistle blowing) 925 00:42:04,589 --> 00:42:07,991 (train whistle blowing) 926 00:42:08,526 --> 00:42:10,994 (engine chugging)