1 00:00:01,935 --> 00:00:02,970 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:03,103 --> 00:00:04,838 - [Narrator] Simply boil water to see what it can do. 3 00:00:06,473 --> 00:00:09,676 Provide locomotion, generate electricity, 4 00:00:09,810 --> 00:00:13,947 clean just about anything, and power outlandish gizmos. 5 00:00:15,382 --> 00:00:17,618 But if you don't watch out, it can huff 6 00:00:18,785 --> 00:00:21,955 and puff and blow your house down. 7 00:00:22,089 --> 00:00:23,457 - Are you ready to go balls out? 8 00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:24,892 Are you ready to go full steam ahead? 9 00:00:25,025 --> 00:00:28,428 You'll find out where all these terms come from coming up. 10 00:00:28,562 --> 00:00:31,798 - [Narrator] Now, steam power on "Modern Marvels". 11 00:00:32,733 --> 00:00:35,435 (dramatic music) 12 00:00:37,104 --> 00:00:39,740 (gears crunching) 13 00:00:46,013 --> 00:00:47,180 -[Narrator] Steam cars. 14 00:00:47,314 --> 00:00:49,583 In the early days of the automobile, 15 00:00:49,716 --> 00:00:52,686 they were more popular than the internal combustion engine. 16 00:00:54,755 --> 00:00:56,523 To learn about them from an expert, 17 00:00:56,657 --> 00:00:58,258 we went to Jay Leno's garage. 18 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:02,429 In two enormous buildings, Jay has amassed a collection 19 00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:05,165 of exceptional and unusual motor vehicles, 20 00:01:05,299 --> 00:01:07,034 including some classic steamers. 21 00:01:07,167 --> 00:01:08,669 - What I'm gonna do right now is fire up 22 00:01:08,802 --> 00:01:12,339 a 1909 Stanley steam car. 23 00:01:12,472 --> 00:01:14,474 The steam cars are quite popular 24 00:01:14,608 --> 00:01:16,209 at the turn of the century because, don't forget, 25 00:01:16,343 --> 00:01:18,278 cars back in the early days, you had to crank them, 26 00:01:18,412 --> 00:01:20,213 and you had the magneto, and you had to set the choke, 27 00:01:20,347 --> 00:01:21,448 and a lot of times they'd backfire 28 00:01:21,582 --> 00:01:23,450 and people would break their arms. 29 00:01:23,584 --> 00:01:26,987 Where steam, well, steam technology was 100 years old 30 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,588 by the time this car was built. 31 00:01:28,722 --> 00:01:30,991 Steam technology was easily understood. 32 00:01:31,124 --> 00:01:33,026 If you heat up water, it makes steam, 33 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,062 it pushes the pistons, and you go. 34 00:01:35,996 --> 00:01:37,130 Let's open up the hood. 35 00:01:39,833 --> 00:01:43,236 Okay, not as pretty as looking at a 289 Mustang 36 00:01:43,370 --> 00:01:46,273 or a 327 Chevy, but this is not your engine. 37 00:01:46,406 --> 00:01:48,575 This is just your boiler. 38 00:01:48,709 --> 00:01:49,576 - [Narrator] Getting an old steamer 39 00:01:49,710 --> 00:01:51,778 ready to run isn't simple. 40 00:01:51,912 --> 00:01:54,614 It's a multi-step, time-consuming process, 41 00:01:54,748 --> 00:01:57,084 and firing up the boiler can be an adventure. 42 00:01:58,318 --> 00:01:59,720 - This is one of the few cars you can get 43 00:01:59,853 --> 00:02:02,956 burned to death and scalded to death at the same time. 44 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:05,058 I mean, you're carrying an open flame, 45 00:02:05,192 --> 00:02:06,460 and you're made of wood. 46 00:02:07,761 --> 00:02:10,731 - [Narrator] Adding air pressure, easy. 47 00:02:11,598 --> 00:02:13,467 Pilot light, no problem. 48 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,203 But then Jay's first attempt to ignite the gas injectors 49 00:02:16,336 --> 00:02:19,206 that provide the heat for the boiler fails. 50 00:02:19,339 --> 00:02:20,841 - Not good. 51 00:02:20,974 --> 00:02:22,476 Okay, that's a bad sign. 52 00:02:23,844 --> 00:02:26,346 (Jay blowing) 53 00:02:28,582 --> 00:02:31,084 - [Narrator] Now he's not sure how much vaporized gas 54 00:02:31,218 --> 00:02:32,152 is floating around. 55 00:02:33,387 --> 00:02:34,654 - Let's take a chance. 56 00:02:34,788 --> 00:02:37,057 (gas igniting) There you go. 57 00:02:37,190 --> 00:02:39,626 Exactly what I'm talking about. 58 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,996 As you can see, it has burned. 59 00:02:43,130 --> 00:02:45,899 See, when you go home, your wife knows where you've been. 60 00:02:46,033 --> 00:02:48,568 She can't accuse you of being out or doing something 61 00:02:48,702 --> 00:02:50,170 when your arm is on fire. 62 00:02:51,672 --> 00:02:53,573 - [Narrator] Jay has better luck the second time around, 63 00:02:53,707 --> 00:02:55,375 and soon the boiler is warming up. 64 00:02:57,711 --> 00:03:00,013 The car lets out a loud moan. 65 00:03:00,147 --> 00:03:01,682 (car moaning) 66 00:03:01,815 --> 00:03:04,184 (Jay howling) 67 00:03:04,317 --> 00:03:06,453 Next, Jay pushes the car outside 68 00:03:06,586 --> 00:03:08,822 to fill up the car's 30 gallon water tank. 69 00:03:10,123 --> 00:03:11,391 - I'm slowly building steam pressure. 70 00:03:11,525 --> 00:03:12,225 Let's see if we've got any. 71 00:03:12,359 --> 00:03:13,760 I'll check my whistle. 72 00:03:13,894 --> 00:03:15,996 (steam whistle blowing) 73 00:03:16,129 --> 00:03:17,531 We're getting there. 74 00:03:17,664 --> 00:03:20,000 See, the nice thing about steam is a gasoline engine 75 00:03:20,133 --> 00:03:22,502 might turn 3500 revolutions per minute. 76 00:03:22,636 --> 00:03:26,273 This engine turns about 357 revolutions per mile. 77 00:03:26,406 --> 00:03:28,942 It's just choo, choo, like that. 78 00:03:29,076 --> 00:03:31,378 So when you pull away, dead silence. 79 00:03:36,950 --> 00:03:38,752 (steam whistle blowing) 80 00:03:38,885 --> 00:03:41,054 There's no gears to shift, there's no transmission, 81 00:03:41,188 --> 00:03:42,322 there's no clutch. 82 00:03:42,456 --> 00:03:44,558 Steam is so powerful, you don't need gears. 83 00:03:45,726 --> 00:03:47,294 - [Narrator] A steam engine is known 84 00:03:47,427 --> 00:03:49,429 as an external combustion engine, 85 00:03:49,563 --> 00:03:51,865 because unlike an internal combustion engine, 86 00:03:51,998 --> 00:03:54,000 the power is produced outside of the engine 87 00:03:54,134 --> 00:03:56,636 in a boiler, or steam generator. 88 00:03:56,770 --> 00:03:58,105 (suspenseful music) 89 00:03:58,238 --> 00:04:01,808 When water boils, it converts from a liquid to a gas. 90 00:04:01,942 --> 00:04:04,111 It expands in the process, creating pressure 91 00:04:04,244 --> 00:04:05,412 in a closed system. 92 00:04:06,613 --> 00:04:08,248 That pressure can be used to do work, 93 00:04:08,381 --> 00:04:11,151 like running pistons in Jay's Stanley steamer. 94 00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:15,222 While inside a pressurized system, steam is invisible. 95 00:04:15,355 --> 00:04:17,224 It's when it vents into cooler temperatures 96 00:04:17,357 --> 00:04:19,960 that it condenses into white clouds of water vapor. 97 00:04:22,028 --> 00:04:23,930 - This is your throttle right here, 98 00:04:24,064 --> 00:04:25,999 and you open your throttle and you go. 99 00:04:28,068 --> 00:04:30,070 Let's see if we can beat the camera car. 100 00:04:32,372 --> 00:04:35,709 (steam whistle blowing) 101 00:04:37,177 --> 00:04:39,513 - [Narrator] Jay has hit 70 miles per hour in this car. 102 00:04:40,647 --> 00:04:41,748 Not bad. 103 00:04:41,882 --> 00:04:44,551 But the Stanley steamer land speed record 104 00:04:44,684 --> 00:04:48,021 is 127 miles per hour, set in 1906. 105 00:04:49,890 --> 00:04:52,159 - When you drive a steam car, you learn to shut off 106 00:04:52,292 --> 00:04:54,427 your throttle as you approach a stop sign, 107 00:04:54,561 --> 00:04:56,296 so you get a build up of steam. 108 00:04:56,429 --> 00:04:58,031 You don't have limitless steam. 109 00:04:58,165 --> 00:05:00,967 You're actually using steam faster than you're making it, 110 00:05:01,067 --> 00:05:04,538 so you want to try to conserve as much steam as you can. 111 00:05:07,941 --> 00:05:10,443 - [Narrator] After taking a spin in his Stanley, 112 00:05:10,577 --> 00:05:14,314 Jay decides to roll out one of his more elegant steamers, 113 00:05:15,148 --> 00:05:17,417 a 1907 White steam car. 114 00:05:18,718 --> 00:05:21,721 - This was a bit more expensive, bit more prestigious 115 00:05:21,855 --> 00:05:22,923 than the Stanley steam car. 116 00:05:23,056 --> 00:05:24,524 This was a step up. 117 00:05:24,658 --> 00:05:26,493 They built 10,000 of these. 118 00:05:26,626 --> 00:05:28,295 This was the first White House car. 119 00:05:28,428 --> 00:05:30,897 Teddy Roosevelt rode in a White steamer. 120 00:05:32,265 --> 00:05:34,401 - [Narrator] Starting up this car doesn't take as long 121 00:05:34,534 --> 00:05:37,637 because of its more efficient way of producing steam. 122 00:05:37,771 --> 00:05:39,806 - With the Stanley heating up 15 gallons of water, 123 00:05:39,940 --> 00:05:43,109 you have a big fire, like a giant kettle. 124 00:05:43,243 --> 00:05:44,344 With this, you're never heating more 125 00:05:44,477 --> 00:05:46,813 than two quarts of water at a time. 126 00:05:46,947 --> 00:05:50,050 (ragtime music) 127 00:05:50,183 --> 00:05:53,053 As you can see, the White was a lot more relaxed version 128 00:05:53,186 --> 00:05:54,287 of the Stanley. 129 00:05:54,421 --> 00:05:58,825 Not quite as hectic, big comfortable cars. 130 00:05:58,959 --> 00:06:01,795 35 miles an hour was a nice cruising speed. 131 00:06:02,896 --> 00:06:04,297 This is what they called a condensing car. 132 00:06:04,431 --> 00:06:05,799 If you notice, unlike the Stanley, 133 00:06:05,932 --> 00:06:08,501 you don't see plumes of steam coming out the back 134 00:06:08,635 --> 00:06:10,670 because the steam is used by the engine, 135 00:06:10,804 --> 00:06:13,240 it goes back up into the condenser, 136 00:06:13,373 --> 00:06:15,809 which looks like a radiator, but it's a condenser. 137 00:06:15,942 --> 00:06:18,211 The cool air from the fan cools the steam, 138 00:06:18,345 --> 00:06:21,882 turns it into water, and you use it over and over again. 139 00:06:22,015 --> 00:06:24,417 I mean, eventually it dissipates. 140 00:06:24,551 --> 00:06:26,753 Whereas a Stanley you might get only 141 00:06:26,886 --> 00:06:29,356 a mile and a half on a gallon of water, 142 00:06:29,489 --> 00:06:32,292 on this you might get five miles on a gallon of water. 143 00:06:33,727 --> 00:06:35,729 - [Narrator] The ride may have been quiet and comfortable, 144 00:06:35,862 --> 00:06:38,999 but the lower sticker prices on gasoline powered cars, 145 00:06:39,132 --> 00:06:41,968 along with a quicker starting internal combustion engine, 146 00:06:43,069 --> 00:06:45,538 caused steamer sales to fizzle. 147 00:06:45,672 --> 00:06:49,776 - Gasoline cars could do it quicker, better, faster, 148 00:06:49,910 --> 00:06:51,878 and that's really the name of the game. 149 00:06:52,012 --> 00:06:54,814 I love them, but if your wife's pregnant 150 00:06:54,948 --> 00:06:56,116 and you need to get to the hospital, 151 00:06:56,249 --> 00:06:57,584 you can't be out there with a match, 152 00:06:57,717 --> 00:06:59,319 and "I'll be about another 10 minutes, honey." 153 00:06:59,452 --> 00:07:00,687 It's not gonna work. 154 00:07:01,855 --> 00:07:03,890 - [Narrator] Decades before steam cars, 155 00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:05,759 and for decades after their fall, 156 00:07:05,892 --> 00:07:08,528 steam locomotives ruled the rails. 157 00:07:08,662 --> 00:07:11,564 In 1804, English inventor, Richard Trevithick 158 00:07:11,698 --> 00:07:15,035 unveiled a steam locomotive capable of hauling 10 tons. 159 00:07:16,336 --> 00:07:18,738 (steam whistle blowing) 160 00:07:18,872 --> 00:07:20,573 They quickly grew in size and power 161 00:07:20,707 --> 00:07:22,175 and became important work horses 162 00:07:22,309 --> 00:07:23,777 in the industrial revolution. 163 00:07:25,245 --> 00:07:27,781 Throughout the 1800s, the steam locomotive 164 00:07:27,914 --> 00:07:30,917 played a major role in the settlement of the American west. 165 00:07:32,085 --> 00:07:34,387 A defining moment occurred in 1869 166 00:07:34,521 --> 00:07:36,856 when the completion of the trans-continental railroad 167 00:07:36,990 --> 00:07:39,459 linked the United States from coast to coast. 168 00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:45,131 In remote Ely, Nevada, the Nevada Northern Railway 169 00:07:45,265 --> 00:07:47,600 houses its historic steam locomotives 170 00:07:47,734 --> 00:07:49,336 in their original engine house. 171 00:07:51,304 --> 00:07:53,606 - The locomotive we're gonna take out today 172 00:07:53,740 --> 00:07:55,909 is locomotive 93. 173 00:07:56,042 --> 00:07:59,879 She was purchased by the railroad in July of 1909. 174 00:08:01,081 --> 00:08:03,650 Right now the fireman is preparing the fire 175 00:08:03,783 --> 00:08:05,318 to produce the steam. 176 00:08:07,354 --> 00:08:08,455 (coal sizzling) 177 00:08:08,588 --> 00:08:11,091 - What I'm doing now is I'm shoveling coal 178 00:08:11,224 --> 00:08:12,392 into the fire box. 179 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,596 We cover the grates evenly with fire, 180 00:08:18,064 --> 00:08:20,934 and we build the pressure up for our operating pressure, 181 00:08:21,034 --> 00:08:23,403 about 185 psi. 182 00:08:24,537 --> 00:08:26,573 (shovel clanging) 183 00:08:26,706 --> 00:08:28,508 This fire box is big. 184 00:08:28,641 --> 00:08:32,112 It's about 12 feet deep and about six feet wide. 185 00:08:32,245 --> 00:08:35,949 This engine takes a lot of coal to make it run. 186 00:08:36,082 --> 00:08:39,953 - It's an incredibly labor-intensive machine. 187 00:08:40,086 --> 00:08:42,856 Right now we're lubing it, getting it ready 188 00:08:42,989 --> 00:08:44,557 to go out on the line. 189 00:08:46,259 --> 00:08:48,795 - [Narrator] Once the boiler builds up enough pressure, 190 00:08:48,928 --> 00:08:51,431 steam generates electricity for the train's lights, 191 00:08:51,564 --> 00:08:54,100 and runs the air pumps on the front of the locomotive 192 00:08:54,234 --> 00:08:57,737 that produce compressed air for braking and other functions. 193 00:08:57,871 --> 00:09:00,407 Then up goes the engine house door, 194 00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:03,143 and locomotive 93 slowly chugs out. 195 00:09:04,477 --> 00:09:07,547 (train bell ringing) 196 00:09:14,821 --> 00:09:17,490 (steam hissing) 197 00:09:18,892 --> 00:09:21,528 - We just received a high ball, releasing the engine brake, 198 00:09:23,763 --> 00:09:26,066 placing the power reverse and forward, 199 00:09:26,199 --> 00:09:28,868 and pull out on the throttle and two blasts on the whistle. 200 00:09:29,002 --> 00:09:30,603 (steam whistle tooting) 201 00:09:30,737 --> 00:09:31,571 and off we go. 202 00:09:33,006 --> 00:09:36,176 (locomotive chugging) 203 00:09:37,744 --> 00:09:39,312 - [Narrator] This is copper mining country, 204 00:09:39,446 --> 00:09:42,782 and for nearly 50 years, locomotive number 93's job 205 00:09:42,916 --> 00:09:44,784 was to haul ore cars. 206 00:09:44,918 --> 00:09:45,985 - This is a freight locomotive. 207 00:09:46,119 --> 00:09:47,821 You can tell by the smaller wheels. 208 00:09:47,954 --> 00:09:49,189 It has a lot of tractive effort, 209 00:09:49,322 --> 00:09:50,990 but very little horse power. 210 00:09:51,124 --> 00:09:53,092 Tractive effort's about 42,000 pounds, 211 00:09:53,226 --> 00:09:55,361 but the horse power's only 905. 212 00:09:56,763 --> 00:09:58,264 It's built for power and not for speed. 213 00:09:58,398 --> 00:10:01,134 It used to pull about 33 oar cars up the hill. 214 00:10:02,502 --> 00:10:04,771 (steam hissing) 215 00:10:04,904 --> 00:10:06,272 Since this is a working locomotive, 216 00:10:06,406 --> 00:10:07,807 you have to be careful what you touch. 217 00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:09,275 Everything's extremely hot. 218 00:10:10,777 --> 00:10:13,079 (train bell ringing) 219 00:10:13,213 --> 00:10:14,747 - [Narrator] Before they return number 93 220 00:10:14,881 --> 00:10:16,816 to the engine house, the crew performs 221 00:10:16,950 --> 00:10:19,686 a boiler cleaning procedure that gives just a hint 222 00:10:19,819 --> 00:10:22,222 of the amount of pressurized steam inside. 223 00:10:23,890 --> 00:10:26,626 - After each run, we do what we call a blow down. 224 00:10:26,759 --> 00:10:29,162 We do this because sediments build up in the boiler 225 00:10:29,295 --> 00:10:31,364 and we have to clean the boiler out 226 00:10:31,498 --> 00:10:33,032 and get those sediments out of the boiler. 227 00:10:33,166 --> 00:10:34,667 So here goes. 228 00:10:34,801 --> 00:10:37,437 (steam blowing) 229 00:10:42,375 --> 00:10:43,142 (bell ringing) 230 00:10:43,276 --> 00:10:45,144 In the 19th century, the steam engine 231 00:10:45,278 --> 00:10:47,780 revolutionized how we live, and ushered in the dawn 232 00:10:47,914 --> 00:10:50,350 of a new age of transportation. 233 00:10:50,483 --> 00:10:51,618 A trip from New York to Philadelphia 234 00:10:51,751 --> 00:10:55,421 that used to take two days, now took only two hours. 235 00:10:55,555 --> 00:10:58,324 Farmers could ship their products to distant markets, 236 00:10:58,458 --> 00:11:01,127 as the speed of railroads meant crops wouldn't spoil 237 00:11:01,261 --> 00:11:03,029 before being sold. 238 00:11:04,597 --> 00:11:06,533 But it's not just locomotives that demonstrate 239 00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:08,835 the awesome power of steam. 240 00:11:08,968 --> 00:11:11,170 At the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, 241 00:11:11,304 --> 00:11:15,275 this 100 ton steam crane is called the big hook. 242 00:11:15,408 --> 00:11:19,312 Built in 1907, its main purpose was to clear train wrecks 243 00:11:19,445 --> 00:11:22,148 and place derailed cars back on the tracks. 244 00:11:22,282 --> 00:11:25,451 - This steam-powered crane is similar to a steam locomotive 245 00:11:25,585 --> 00:11:29,489 except that we're not running wheels on steel rails. 246 00:11:29,622 --> 00:11:32,992 What we're running here are large gears 247 00:11:33,126 --> 00:11:36,829 that pick up the boom, and also the two hooks in the front. 248 00:11:38,298 --> 00:11:39,866 - [Narrator] Before it can pick up a derailed car, 249 00:11:39,999 --> 00:11:42,235 the crane's outriggers much be extended. 250 00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:44,871 Then the crew places wood blocks underneath each 251 00:11:45,004 --> 00:11:46,306 to stabilize the crane. 252 00:11:47,206 --> 00:11:49,442 Now the heavy lifting can begin. 253 00:11:49,576 --> 00:11:51,511 (steam hissing) 254 00:11:51,644 --> 00:11:54,714 - Next, we're gonna swing the crane over to the load 255 00:11:54,847 --> 00:11:56,883 we're gonna pick up, and to do that, 256 00:11:57,016 --> 00:11:59,218 I have to engage the swing hook 257 00:11:59,352 --> 00:12:01,454 and then I have to put a direction on it, 258 00:12:01,588 --> 00:12:05,325 and then I will apply steam, which is power, 259 00:12:05,458 --> 00:12:06,726 by these levers. 260 00:12:06,859 --> 00:12:08,528 Here we go. 261 00:12:08,661 --> 00:12:11,397 (dramatic music) 262 00:12:12,832 --> 00:12:16,135 Next, we're gonna lower the hook to pick up the load, 263 00:12:16,269 --> 00:12:21,274 which would mean first I engage this one here, this clutch. 264 00:12:21,874 --> 00:12:23,776 (steam hissing) 265 00:12:23,910 --> 00:12:25,178 It's engaged. 266 00:12:25,311 --> 00:12:27,313 Now we're gonna let her down. 267 00:12:28,514 --> 00:12:30,483 - [Narrator] The big hook may look huge, 268 00:12:30,617 --> 00:12:33,019 and it's brawny enough to lift up this ore car, 269 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,889 but it's nothing in size compared to some 270 00:12:37,023 --> 00:12:39,759 of the largest steam-powered machines ever constructed, 271 00:12:41,260 --> 00:12:44,264 the great ocean liners of the 19th and 20th centuries, 272 00:12:44,397 --> 00:12:47,233 which changed travel and transportation forever. 273 00:12:48,268 --> 00:12:50,036 The Titanic was the largest, 274 00:12:50,169 --> 00:12:52,905 when it sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. 275 00:12:54,207 --> 00:12:57,443 But the RMS Queen Elizabeth, launched in 1938, 276 00:12:57,577 --> 00:12:59,512 was the biggest steam ship ever built. 277 00:13:00,847 --> 00:13:02,815 We know the smaller vessels designed to navigate 278 00:13:02,949 --> 00:13:05,618 rivers and lakes as steamboats. 279 00:13:05,752 --> 00:13:09,856 It was in New York in 1807 that Robert Fulton's Clermont 280 00:13:09,989 --> 00:13:11,724 offered the first successful commercial 281 00:13:11,858 --> 00:13:13,459 steam boat service in the world. 282 00:13:15,194 --> 00:13:18,131 Today there are only a few working steam boats in America. 283 00:13:19,465 --> 00:13:22,402 In New Orleans, the Natchez provides a reminder 284 00:13:22,535 --> 00:13:25,238 of the golden age of steam boating on the Mississippi. 285 00:13:26,973 --> 00:13:30,543 While the boat is a re-creation, built in 1975, 286 00:13:30,677 --> 00:13:32,745 the enormous steam engines are hand me downs 287 00:13:32,879 --> 00:13:34,047 from a bygone era. 288 00:13:35,848 --> 00:13:39,952 - These engines that you see right here were built in 1925. 289 00:13:40,086 --> 00:13:42,455 They were built for the steam boat Clairton, 290 00:13:42,588 --> 00:13:45,191 which was a push boat for the U.S. Steel Company 291 00:13:45,324 --> 00:13:46,225 in Pennsylvania. 292 00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:51,230 - It wasn't unusual for steam boats to get machinery 293 00:13:51,364 --> 00:13:52,899 from the previous vessel. 294 00:13:53,032 --> 00:13:55,401 The wooden boats only lasted a short time, 295 00:13:55,535 --> 00:13:57,470 and the machinery would quite often be moved 296 00:13:57,603 --> 00:13:59,806 from one older vessel onto the new one. 297 00:14:00,940 --> 00:14:02,041 - [Narrator] Both engines work in tandem 298 00:14:02,175 --> 00:14:04,677 to move the huge arms that turn the 26 ton 299 00:14:04,811 --> 00:14:07,080 oak and steel paddle wheel. 300 00:14:07,213 --> 00:14:09,082 The total maximum output of the two engines 301 00:14:09,215 --> 00:14:11,718 is equivalent to about 1600 horse power. 302 00:14:13,953 --> 00:14:16,823 The boilers that supply the steam aren't vintage equipment, 303 00:14:16,956 --> 00:14:20,526 because of safety, economic and environmental reasons. 304 00:14:20,660 --> 00:14:22,395 - The old boats used coal. 305 00:14:22,528 --> 00:14:24,897 Unlike us, we're using diesel fuel. 306 00:14:25,031 --> 00:14:25,832 There are two boilers. 307 00:14:25,965 --> 00:14:27,366 We only use one at a time. 308 00:14:28,501 --> 00:14:30,002 - [Narrator] Not all the steam produced 309 00:14:30,136 --> 00:14:31,671 heads right to the engines. 310 00:14:31,804 --> 00:14:34,774 One small pipe goes up to the top of the boat. 311 00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:38,077 (steam whistle blowing) 312 00:14:38,211 --> 00:14:39,779 - The few boats that are in service now 313 00:14:39,912 --> 00:14:41,481 have a very distinctive whistle. 314 00:14:41,614 --> 00:14:44,083 Most steam boat people can automatically hear them 315 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:46,185 and know what exact boat they're from. 316 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:48,321 - [Narrator] A whistle isn't the only way 317 00:14:48,454 --> 00:14:50,690 to get people's attention on this boat. 318 00:14:50,823 --> 00:14:52,759 Another pipe runs across the top deck 319 00:14:52,892 --> 00:14:54,794 to supply steam to the calliope. 320 00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:59,198 - The first thing you have to do is clear the condensation 321 00:14:59,332 --> 00:15:01,100 that's built up in the whistles. 322 00:15:02,268 --> 00:15:04,270 We have 32 keys on our keyboard. 323 00:15:04,404 --> 00:15:07,774 Each key corresponds to a steam whistle. 324 00:15:07,907 --> 00:15:10,877 The steam organ was patented by Joshua C. Stoddard 325 00:15:11,010 --> 00:15:14,380 of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1856. 326 00:15:14,514 --> 00:15:16,349 His brother was a river boat captain. 327 00:15:16,482 --> 00:15:19,051 He gave it to his brother, who put it on the boat, 328 00:15:19,185 --> 00:15:22,054 and it became a principal means of advertising 329 00:15:22,188 --> 00:15:24,624 and welcoming passengers aboard steamboats 330 00:15:24,757 --> 00:15:26,492 by the late 1850s. 331 00:15:26,626 --> 00:15:30,897 It was later named calliope for the Greek muse of voice. 332 00:15:31,030 --> 00:15:32,532 (steam organ playing) 333 00:15:32,665 --> 00:15:34,467 I'm gonna close this act with a theme 334 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,736 you should all recognize. 335 00:15:37,737 --> 00:15:40,907 (steam organ playing) 336 00:15:45,344 --> 00:15:47,246 - [Narrator] Trains, boats and steam cars 337 00:15:47,380 --> 00:15:49,749 created a more mobile world. 338 00:15:49,882 --> 00:15:51,584 But just as important was steam's role 339 00:15:51,717 --> 00:15:54,020 in the factories of the industrial revolution. 340 00:15:55,188 --> 00:15:58,491 Jay Leno decided to go back 150 years 341 00:15:58,624 --> 00:16:02,361 and see what some old, but proven technology had to offer. 342 00:16:02,495 --> 00:16:04,997 He acquired a Wright stationary steam engine, 343 00:16:05,131 --> 00:16:07,633 built in the 1860s, and installed it 344 00:16:07,767 --> 00:16:09,535 in his huge automotive garage. 345 00:16:09,669 --> 00:16:10,870 - Abraham Lincoln was president 346 00:16:11,003 --> 00:16:12,605 when this thing was designed. 347 00:16:12,738 --> 00:16:14,106 It weighs 11 tons. 348 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,976 This flywheel here is three tons. 349 00:16:17,109 --> 00:16:19,612 It's built in two pieces, but the rest of it 350 00:16:19,745 --> 00:16:22,181 is all one casting. 351 00:16:22,315 --> 00:16:25,117 - [Narrator] Of course, if you decide to buy a steam engine, 352 00:16:25,251 --> 00:16:27,520 you also need a source of steam. 353 00:16:27,653 --> 00:16:30,022 - We've got a modern Clayton steam generator. 354 00:16:30,156 --> 00:16:31,157 It's a little complicated. 355 00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:32,358 Bernard has the cheat sheet. 356 00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:33,826 Get the cheat sheet, Bernard. 357 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,494 We always want to make sure we fire this thing 358 00:16:35,628 --> 00:16:37,997 right up properly, because it's a lot of vales to open 359 00:16:38,130 --> 00:16:39,365 and things you have to do. 360 00:16:39,498 --> 00:16:41,234 - First step, we've got to check the water 361 00:16:41,367 --> 00:16:42,568 in the header tank up there. 362 00:16:42,702 --> 00:16:43,803 - [Jay] The header tank looks good. 363 00:16:43,936 --> 00:16:45,037 We've got water in the header tank. 364 00:16:45,171 --> 00:16:46,472 - [Bernard] We've got it on, okay. 365 00:16:46,606 --> 00:16:48,541 - [Narrator] Next, Jay and Bernard open a series of valves 366 00:16:48,674 --> 00:16:51,344 to get the water flowing through the system. 367 00:16:51,477 --> 00:16:53,179 - [Bernard] So that's starting to look pretty good there. 368 00:16:53,312 --> 00:16:55,514 Let's push the till run button over there, 369 00:16:55,648 --> 00:16:57,850 and we'll get some fire going. 370 00:16:57,984 --> 00:16:59,085 - Aye, captain. 371 00:16:59,218 --> 00:17:00,820 - Now we're waiting for steam to come out 372 00:17:00,953 --> 00:17:02,488 of that pipe up on top. 373 00:17:04,657 --> 00:17:06,025 - There she blows, captain. 374 00:17:08,327 --> 00:17:10,830 Now that we've got steam, let's go back inside. 375 00:17:10,963 --> 00:17:13,232 - Luckily this thing operates on natural gas 376 00:17:13,366 --> 00:17:16,035 so I don't have to shovel coal all day. 377 00:17:16,168 --> 00:17:17,169 That wouldn't do it. 378 00:17:19,272 --> 00:17:21,440 - As you can see, we've got almost 140 pounds 379 00:17:21,574 --> 00:17:22,808 of steam pressure, much more 380 00:17:22,942 --> 00:17:24,844 than this would have run on in its time. 381 00:17:24,977 --> 00:17:28,247 So let's open our valve here and see what happens. 382 00:17:28,381 --> 00:17:30,316 And everything starts moving. 383 00:17:31,817 --> 00:17:33,653 I still get a kick out of this each time it starts. 384 00:17:33,786 --> 00:17:34,921 It's always amazing to me. 385 00:17:35,054 --> 00:17:36,522 You know, we're so used to, rrr, 386 00:17:36,656 --> 00:17:38,157 and machines starting machines. 387 00:17:38,291 --> 00:17:40,059 The fact that this runs so quietly. 388 00:17:42,662 --> 00:17:44,931 - [Narrator] One reason this 11 ton single piston 389 00:17:45,064 --> 00:17:47,566 Wright steam engine does run so quietly 390 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:49,201 is that Jay installed a seven ton 391 00:17:49,335 --> 00:17:52,038 perfectly level cement base for the engine to rest on. 392 00:17:53,606 --> 00:17:56,442 - If you're a little off, your piston will eat into the bore 393 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:57,877 and wear your cylinder out. 394 00:17:58,010 --> 00:18:00,746 So that's the real trick, making sure everything is level 395 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,049 and smooth and moves freely. 396 00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:05,384 - [Narrator] So far, Jay hasn't put 397 00:18:05,518 --> 00:18:06,786 his steam engine to work. 398 00:18:07,987 --> 00:18:10,156 Back in the steam age, the rotating flywheel 399 00:18:10,289 --> 00:18:12,224 would run a big belt to transfer its power 400 00:18:12,358 --> 00:18:14,727 to saws and other mill or factory machinery. 401 00:18:16,862 --> 00:18:18,431 - This is what the Luddites were afraid of. 402 00:18:18,564 --> 00:18:19,832 You've all heard the expression Luddites, 403 00:18:19,966 --> 00:18:21,434 people who don't like technology. 404 00:18:21,567 --> 00:18:23,169 But you realize a machine like this 405 00:18:23,302 --> 00:18:26,706 would probably replace 100 men working. 406 00:18:26,839 --> 00:18:30,543 It was 125 horse power, which doesn't seem like much now. 407 00:18:30,676 --> 00:18:33,045 We have engines this big to make 125 horse power. 408 00:18:33,179 --> 00:18:35,414 But back in the day, this was almost 409 00:18:35,548 --> 00:18:37,216 like space shuttle technology. 410 00:18:38,684 --> 00:18:40,019 - [Narrator] What makes old steam engines fascinating 411 00:18:40,152 --> 00:18:43,422 in this age of electronics, are the rhythmic sounds 412 00:18:44,657 --> 00:18:46,993 and the enormous moving parts, 413 00:18:47,126 --> 00:18:49,695 a potential hazard in 19th century factories. 414 00:18:50,830 --> 00:18:52,298 - There was no OSHA back in the day. 415 00:18:52,431 --> 00:18:54,667 There was no health and safety standards. 416 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,068 A guy would go, "Hey, I'll fix it." 417 00:18:56,202 --> 00:18:59,105 Pshow, and that was pretty much the end of it. 418 00:18:59,238 --> 00:19:01,474 - [Narrator] Next, Jay starts up his even older 419 00:19:01,607 --> 00:19:03,776 1832 steam engine. 420 00:19:03,909 --> 00:19:06,312 - Give it a little bit of a push here to get it going, 421 00:19:06,445 --> 00:19:10,249 to get it over center, and there she goes. 422 00:19:10,383 --> 00:19:13,152 (levers clicking) 423 00:19:13,285 --> 00:19:14,153 As you can see, there's kind of 424 00:19:14,286 --> 00:19:16,322 a quiet elegance to these things. 425 00:19:16,455 --> 00:19:18,057 This is what they call a walking beam 426 00:19:18,190 --> 00:19:20,593 because it's a beam and it looks like it's walking. 427 00:19:20,726 --> 00:19:22,628 It's pretty self-explanatory. 428 00:19:22,762 --> 00:19:25,731 This ran a color and dye factory in England 429 00:19:25,865 --> 00:19:27,767 back in the early 1800s, and I'm told 430 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:31,137 this engine ran for almost 100 years continuously, 431 00:19:31,270 --> 00:19:33,239 just like this, chug, chug, chug. 432 00:19:33,372 --> 00:19:34,340 That's what it did. 433 00:19:35,541 --> 00:19:37,443 - [Narrator] The engine isn't entirely original, 434 00:19:37,576 --> 00:19:39,578 but there's a good reason the oilers were added later 435 00:19:39,712 --> 00:19:41,347 to make lubrication easier. 436 00:19:42,581 --> 00:19:43,916 - This is 1832. 437 00:19:44,050 --> 00:19:45,217 How did they lubricate them? 438 00:19:45,351 --> 00:19:47,920 What you'd do is you'd bring a pig in, 439 00:19:48,054 --> 00:19:50,122 they'd slaughter a pig, they'd rub the greasy parts 440 00:19:50,256 --> 00:19:52,925 all over the metal, run it for a while. 441 00:19:53,059 --> 00:19:54,360 "Hey, we need another pig." 442 00:19:54,493 --> 00:19:55,961 Bring another pig in, they'd slaughter another pig, 443 00:19:56,095 --> 00:19:57,730 rub the greasy parts all over, 444 00:19:57,863 --> 00:19:59,598 and probably ate a lot of pork chops. 445 00:19:59,732 --> 00:20:00,833 That's probably what they did. 446 00:20:00,966 --> 00:20:02,535 Luckily, we don't do that anymore. 447 00:20:02,668 --> 00:20:04,503 - [Narrator] Centripetal force causes 448 00:20:04,637 --> 00:20:06,906 these circulating balls to flare outward. 449 00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:09,341 They're the engine's main safety feature. 450 00:20:10,543 --> 00:20:12,945 - The faster you go, the higher this rises, 451 00:20:13,079 --> 00:20:15,548 which moves that lever, which controls your throttle. 452 00:20:15,681 --> 00:20:18,050 If you hear the expression balls out, 453 00:20:18,184 --> 00:20:19,885 it doesn't mean what you think, okay? 454 00:20:20,019 --> 00:20:21,921 What it means is your balls are running all the way out, 455 00:20:22,054 --> 00:20:23,823 your engine is running at full speed, 456 00:20:23,956 --> 00:20:25,257 and to keep them from over-revving it 457 00:20:25,391 --> 00:20:27,660 and breaking your motor, it essentially works 458 00:20:27,793 --> 00:20:30,062 as a governor, it limits how much throttle 459 00:20:30,196 --> 00:20:31,497 you can put into it. 460 00:20:31,630 --> 00:20:34,066 - [Narrator] Jay's engines may be antiques, 461 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,335 but steam is still a vital source of power. 462 00:20:38,304 --> 00:20:42,141 - All your nuclear subs run on steam. 463 00:20:42,274 --> 00:20:46,178 Steam turbines run a lot of power plants. 464 00:20:46,312 --> 00:20:49,181 Steam is still a force to be reckoned with. 465 00:20:50,583 --> 00:20:52,918 - [Narrator] Coal, natural gas and nuclear energy 466 00:20:53,052 --> 00:20:55,521 all create steam, but there's a more 467 00:20:55,654 --> 00:20:57,990 environmentally-friendly way to turn the turbines 468 00:20:58,124 --> 00:20:59,425 that generate electricity. 469 00:21:00,893 --> 00:21:03,629 Yellowstone National Park's spurting and gushing geysers 470 00:21:03,762 --> 00:21:06,632 are examples of the volatile subterranean interaction 471 00:21:06,766 --> 00:21:07,900 of heat and water. 472 00:21:09,301 --> 00:21:11,904 Another is the biggest steam explosion in U.S. history, 473 00:21:13,038 --> 00:21:15,441 the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens 474 00:21:15,574 --> 00:21:19,445 in Washington state, on May 18th, 1980. 475 00:21:19,578 --> 00:21:23,215 Inside the volcano, water hit superheated rock 476 00:21:23,349 --> 00:21:25,584 and flashed into steam with the explosive force 477 00:21:25,718 --> 00:21:29,188 of about 20 million tons of TNT. 478 00:21:29,321 --> 00:21:31,991 The blast devastated 150 square miles 479 00:21:32,124 --> 00:21:34,660 of forest in six minutes. 480 00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:37,663 That's the power of steam uncontrolled. 481 00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:40,399 Elsewhere, that natural power is being harnessed 482 00:21:40,533 --> 00:21:41,834 to produce electricity. 483 00:21:42,601 --> 00:21:44,904 The first geothermal power plants in the U.S. 484 00:21:45,037 --> 00:21:48,974 were built in 1962, at the Geysers dry steam field, 485 00:21:49,108 --> 00:21:50,743 located in northern California. 486 00:21:52,144 --> 00:21:54,180 It's still the largest producing geothermal field 487 00:21:54,313 --> 00:21:57,416 in the world, using high temperature dry steam 488 00:21:57,550 --> 00:21:59,618 as the resource to generate electricity. 489 00:22:01,887 --> 00:22:04,924 In dry steam power plants, the steam shoots up 490 00:22:05,057 --> 00:22:07,593 from the wells and is used to turn turbines, 491 00:22:07,726 --> 00:22:11,230 while most other geothermal plants, called flash plants, 492 00:22:11,363 --> 00:22:13,566 use naturally occurring superheated water 493 00:22:13,699 --> 00:22:14,767 as a source of steam. 494 00:22:18,704 --> 00:22:21,340 In southern California's Imperial Valley, 495 00:22:21,473 --> 00:22:23,676 along the shore of the Salton Sea, 496 00:22:23,809 --> 00:22:27,046 the CalEnergy company currently has 10 flash plants, 497 00:22:27,179 --> 00:22:30,816 all situated over a hot bed of geothermal activity. 498 00:22:32,284 --> 00:22:34,486 - On those 10 plants, we're generating 340 megawatts 499 00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:38,090 of power, which equates to about 333,000 homes 500 00:22:38,224 --> 00:22:39,425 that it powers. 501 00:22:39,558 --> 00:22:41,660 We sell, on long-term power contracts, 502 00:22:41,794 --> 00:22:45,030 to utilities throughout southern California and Arizona. 503 00:22:46,298 --> 00:22:48,167 - [Narrator] Just like the Salton Sea above, 504 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:51,070 the water below the ground is very salty. 505 00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:52,805 It's referred to as brine. 506 00:22:54,173 --> 00:22:57,643 Geothermal production wells, similar to oil wells, 507 00:22:57,776 --> 00:23:00,679 drill down thousands of feet to tap into 508 00:23:00,813 --> 00:23:04,717 the more than 360 degree Fahrenheit reservoirs of brine 509 00:23:04,850 --> 00:23:05,985 trapped in the bedrock. 510 00:23:07,886 --> 00:23:10,222 Tremendous pressure causes the superheated brine 511 00:23:10,356 --> 00:23:11,724 to rush to the surface. 512 00:23:14,159 --> 00:23:16,929 - This is Vonderahe One production well. 513 00:23:17,062 --> 00:23:18,430 Vonderahe One was recognized 514 00:23:18,564 --> 00:23:20,666 by the World Geothermal Resources Council 515 00:23:20,799 --> 00:23:24,503 as being the most prolific geothermal well in the world. 516 00:23:24,637 --> 00:23:26,472 Don't let all that noise scare you. 517 00:23:26,605 --> 00:23:29,808 These yellow bars are actually restraints, 518 00:23:29,942 --> 00:23:31,977 because the well head was moving so much, 519 00:23:32,111 --> 00:23:34,580 and it was a little too prolific. 520 00:23:36,215 --> 00:23:37,950 - [Narrator] The hot brine from the wells 521 00:23:38,117 --> 00:23:41,320 flows through pipes into large cylindrical tanks. 522 00:23:41,453 --> 00:23:43,222 This part of the process is why this type 523 00:23:43,355 --> 00:23:45,924 of geothermal plant is called a flash plant. 524 00:23:47,293 --> 00:23:49,928 - As the pressure is lowered inside the vessel, 525 00:23:50,062 --> 00:23:53,032 steam is flashed, similar to what you would see 526 00:23:53,165 --> 00:23:55,534 in a pressure cooker in your home. 527 00:23:55,668 --> 00:23:57,970 As the steam is flashed, it's routed 528 00:23:58,103 --> 00:23:59,872 from the top of the vessel. 529 00:24:00,005 --> 00:24:03,809 The brine water that remains is exiting 530 00:24:03,942 --> 00:24:06,745 on the bottom half so that there's no contamination 531 00:24:06,879 --> 00:24:07,946 between the two. 532 00:24:09,315 --> 00:24:10,950 - [Narrator] The steam without salts is then routed 533 00:24:11,083 --> 00:24:12,952 to turn the blades inside the turbines 534 00:24:13,085 --> 00:24:14,486 that generate electricity. 535 00:24:17,523 --> 00:24:19,792 While the steam is used to turn the turbines, 536 00:24:19,925 --> 00:24:22,428 the remaining liquid that didn't flash into steam 537 00:24:22,561 --> 00:24:25,698 is pumped away from the plants to injection wells 538 00:24:25,831 --> 00:24:29,134 that recycle it back into the underground reservoirs. 539 00:24:29,268 --> 00:24:31,804 - We re-inject 80% of all the fluid 540 00:24:31,937 --> 00:24:33,672 that we pull out in the production system, 541 00:24:33,806 --> 00:24:36,575 so we're self sustaining the reservoir. 542 00:24:36,709 --> 00:24:39,445 - [Narrator] Geologists estimate there's approximately 543 00:24:39,578 --> 00:24:42,881 2000 megawatts of power still untapped in the area, 544 00:24:43,015 --> 00:24:45,718 enough energy to supply about two million more homes. 545 00:24:49,922 --> 00:24:52,591 They're the heavy lifters and big movers, 546 00:24:52,725 --> 00:24:55,861 but they get gunky and grimy and need to be cleaned. 547 00:24:55,994 --> 00:24:56,829 What can you do? 548 00:24:58,230 --> 00:25:00,833 The Sioux Corporation of South Dakota has the answer. 549 00:25:00,966 --> 00:25:03,035 Roll out one of its steam cleaning units, 550 00:25:04,470 --> 00:25:09,208 attach a water supply, fire up the boiler, and blast away. 551 00:25:09,808 --> 00:25:12,044 (steam hissing) 552 00:25:13,479 --> 00:25:17,516 - Steam is just a fantastic way to remove grease and dirt 553 00:25:17,649 --> 00:25:19,451 from heavy equipment. 554 00:25:19,585 --> 00:25:20,886 - [Narrator] This steam cleaning unit 555 00:25:21,020 --> 00:25:24,156 has a diesel tank that supplies fuel to the burner. 556 00:25:24,289 --> 00:25:26,892 The upper portion is called a water tube boiler. 557 00:25:27,026 --> 00:25:29,028 Hot air produced by the burners below 558 00:25:29,161 --> 00:25:32,598 circulates around two coils of water-filled steel pipe, 559 00:25:32,731 --> 00:25:35,334 up through the center, down between the coils, 560 00:25:35,467 --> 00:25:38,170 the up the outside, before exhausting out 561 00:25:38,303 --> 00:25:39,872 the top of the unit. 562 00:25:40,005 --> 00:25:43,142 - To build one of these coils, we take 200 feet of pipe 563 00:25:43,275 --> 00:25:46,879 and wind it on a drum into a cylinder, 564 00:25:47,012 --> 00:25:49,782 and then we wind a smaller one for the inner cylinder 565 00:25:49,915 --> 00:25:53,185 of another 100 feet, for a total of 300 feet 566 00:25:53,318 --> 00:25:56,555 of pipe that's all wound together and welded together 567 00:25:56,688 --> 00:25:59,525 to have one continuous pass of 300 feet. 568 00:25:59,658 --> 00:26:02,528 When the water passes through this 300 feet of pipe, 569 00:26:02,661 --> 00:26:04,496 it starts out at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 570 00:26:04,630 --> 00:26:07,299 and ends up at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 571 00:26:07,433 --> 00:26:08,667 - [Narrator] The hot pressurized water 572 00:26:08,801 --> 00:26:10,903 flows out of the boiler through the hose, 573 00:26:11,036 --> 00:26:12,938 and discharges from the steam nozzle. 574 00:26:14,373 --> 00:26:17,776 These machines are designed so that only 15% of the water 575 00:26:17,910 --> 00:26:20,379 flashes into steam as it exits the nozzle. 576 00:26:21,847 --> 00:26:24,983 The 85% water, 15% steam ratio 577 00:26:25,117 --> 00:26:27,152 provides the best cleaning power. 578 00:26:27,286 --> 00:26:29,221 The tremendous expansion of the steam 579 00:26:29,354 --> 00:26:31,156 accelerates the water droplets 580 00:26:31,290 --> 00:26:34,293 so that they bombard the surface to be cleaned. 581 00:26:35,427 --> 00:26:37,096 Pressure washers that just use hot water 582 00:26:37,229 --> 00:26:39,398 aren't as effective when dealing with grease and grime, 583 00:26:39,531 --> 00:26:42,868 and 100% steam would melt the grease, 584 00:26:43,001 --> 00:26:44,770 but not wash it away. 585 00:26:44,903 --> 00:26:47,606 - In addition to cleaning heavy equipment like this, 586 00:26:47,739 --> 00:26:49,842 there are other uses for steam cleaners, 587 00:26:49,975 --> 00:26:52,244 such as blasting away snow and ice. 588 00:26:52,377 --> 00:26:56,281 It'll clean gum, sticky substances off of sidewalks. 589 00:26:56,415 --> 00:26:59,184 It can be used to clean just about anything. 590 00:26:59,318 --> 00:27:00,185 - [Narrator] The Sioux corporation 591 00:27:00,319 --> 00:27:02,321 manufactures both steam cleaning 592 00:27:02,454 --> 00:27:04,690 and steam generating machines. 593 00:27:04,823 --> 00:27:08,026 The heart of each machine is a reliable boiler. 594 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,629 Workers make so-called fire tube boilers 595 00:27:10,762 --> 00:27:13,465 to go inside the company's steam generators. 596 00:27:13,599 --> 00:27:17,102 Unlike their water tube boiler, in a fire tube boiler, 597 00:27:17,236 --> 00:27:19,805 the heat from the burners travels through the tubes 598 00:27:19,938 --> 00:27:22,841 and boils the water inside the tank. 599 00:27:22,975 --> 00:27:25,611 - And you have it filled with water to this level, 600 00:27:25,744 --> 00:27:28,714 about approximately here, and the water boils 601 00:27:28,847 --> 00:27:29,982 just like in a tea kettle, 602 00:27:30,115 --> 00:27:32,084 and the steam comes out the exhaust right here. 603 00:27:33,085 --> 00:27:36,722 - We're testing our SF20 boiler right now. 604 00:27:36,855 --> 00:27:38,824 You'll see the steam start pouring out. 605 00:27:39,992 --> 00:27:41,960 This machine will put out about 700 pounds 606 00:27:42,094 --> 00:27:43,962 per hour of steam. 607 00:27:44,096 --> 00:27:45,430 It's running at a temperature of about 608 00:27:45,564 --> 00:27:47,266 240 degrees right now. 609 00:27:48,967 --> 00:27:51,103 (steam hissing) 610 00:27:51,236 --> 00:27:53,939 This is the discharge of our steam generator, 611 00:27:54,072 --> 00:27:56,208 and when it boils inside the steam generator, 612 00:27:56,341 --> 00:27:59,144 it expands at a rate of 1500 times. 613 00:27:59,278 --> 00:28:03,148 So if we start off with one cubic foot of water, 614 00:28:03,282 --> 00:28:06,985 we're gonna have 1500 cubic feet of steam at the discharge. 615 00:28:08,287 --> 00:28:09,821 - [Narrator] Low pressure steam generators 616 00:28:09,955 --> 00:28:12,624 can be used to accelerate concrete curing, 617 00:28:12,758 --> 00:28:14,293 and even sterilize soil. 618 00:28:15,661 --> 00:28:18,397 But what if you've got dirty clothes and wrinkles? 619 00:28:18,530 --> 00:28:19,865 Steam again. 620 00:28:19,998 --> 00:28:23,168 There are about 30,000 dry cleaners in the United States, 621 00:28:23,302 --> 00:28:25,704 including Perfect Cleaners in Los Angeles, 622 00:28:25,837 --> 00:28:27,673 and they all rely on steam. 623 00:28:28,073 --> 00:28:30,943 - Here at this large 3500 square foot dry cleaning plant, 624 00:28:31,076 --> 00:28:33,879 we process over 5000 pieces a week, 625 00:28:34,012 --> 00:28:36,481 and every single one of them comes into contact with steam 626 00:28:36,615 --> 00:28:38,150 in one form or another. 627 00:28:38,283 --> 00:28:39,685 (water spraying) 628 00:28:39,818 --> 00:28:41,920 - [Narrator] The maze of white pipes carries steam 629 00:28:42,054 --> 00:28:44,189 to the various devices throughout the plant 630 00:28:44,323 --> 00:28:45,224 that spew it out. 631 00:28:47,459 --> 00:28:49,861 All the steam comes from the boiler in the back. 632 00:28:50,929 --> 00:28:51,997 - Here we are in the boiler room, 633 00:28:52,130 --> 00:28:53,465 the heart of the dry cleaning plant. 634 00:28:53,599 --> 00:28:55,367 As you can see, I've taken the cover off my boiler here, 635 00:28:55,500 --> 00:28:57,369 and you see the natural gas flaming 636 00:28:57,502 --> 00:29:00,772 and heating these water tubes, creating steam and pressure, 637 00:29:00,906 --> 00:29:03,709 carrying pressure up to 110 pounds per square inch. 638 00:29:05,077 --> 00:29:07,512 - [Narrator] Some of the washers and dryers use steam. 639 00:29:08,614 --> 00:29:10,849 When it comes to getting out wrinkles, 640 00:29:10,983 --> 00:29:13,218 steam's heat and humidity have no equal 641 00:29:13,352 --> 00:29:15,554 in getting the kinks out of cloth. 642 00:29:15,687 --> 00:29:17,289 - This is a steam air form finisher, 643 00:29:17,422 --> 00:29:19,625 otherwise known as a Suzie in the dry cleaning business. 644 00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:22,728 I'm gonna put this wrinkled polo shirt on here, 645 00:29:22,861 --> 00:29:24,296 push the button, we're gonna have hot steam 646 00:29:24,429 --> 00:29:26,531 come out of there, and then hot air to dry it. 647 00:29:26,665 --> 00:29:29,101 This is the first step in the dry cleaning pressing process 648 00:29:29,234 --> 00:29:31,970 before it goes over to a utility press. 649 00:29:34,539 --> 00:29:36,308 - [Narrator] Utility presses emit steam 650 00:29:36,441 --> 00:29:39,444 from both the top and bottom inner surfaces. 651 00:29:39,578 --> 00:29:41,546 Workers also have steam irons available 652 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,815 to target specific areas. 653 00:29:43,949 --> 00:29:46,952 - This is our largest press, also known as a hot head press. 654 00:29:47,085 --> 00:29:49,087 This large metal surface is filled with steam, 655 00:29:49,221 --> 00:29:51,957 gets up to a temperature of 300 plus degrees. 656 00:29:52,090 --> 00:29:53,325 It is dry, though. 657 00:29:53,458 --> 00:29:54,860 When she brings the press down, 658 00:29:54,993 --> 00:29:58,196 she'll press this wet sheet here with some bottom steam, 659 00:29:58,330 --> 00:30:00,832 and it'll give the sheet a nice crisp finish 660 00:30:00,966 --> 00:30:02,367 without using any starch. 661 00:30:05,370 --> 00:30:07,539 - [Narrator] Wrinkles aren't the only laundry problem 662 00:30:07,673 --> 00:30:08,940 that steam can obliterate. 663 00:30:10,142 --> 00:30:12,611 - We use here steam to remove stains, 664 00:30:12,744 --> 00:30:15,247 and this is how we do it. 665 00:30:15,380 --> 00:30:17,082 I put it on the spotting board, 666 00:30:17,215 --> 00:30:19,918 take my spotting gun, which shoots steam through it, 667 00:30:20,052 --> 00:30:21,953 and I can use a variety of distance, 668 00:30:22,087 --> 00:30:25,624 depending on the garment, so I don't damage the fabric 669 00:30:25,757 --> 00:30:27,893 or the color on the garment. 670 00:30:28,026 --> 00:30:30,128 (steam spraying) 671 00:30:30,262 --> 00:30:35,267 The steam is allowing me to remove the stain as I go. 672 00:30:35,867 --> 00:30:37,903 - [Narrator] While one small boiler can supply the steam 673 00:30:38,036 --> 00:30:41,106 for this cleaning business, in New York, 674 00:30:41,239 --> 00:30:45,077 enormous boilers send steam surging under the city streets 675 00:30:45,210 --> 00:30:47,946 and into some of the world's most famous skyscrapers. 676 00:30:48,814 --> 00:30:50,215 Unless things go wrong. 677 00:30:55,487 --> 00:30:56,688 What do the Empire State Building, 678 00:30:56,822 --> 00:30:59,024 the Chrysler Building, the United Nations, 679 00:30:59,157 --> 00:31:00,859 along with hospitals and hundreds of other 680 00:31:00,992 --> 00:31:03,395 Manhattan businesses have in common? 681 00:31:03,528 --> 00:31:06,064 Instead of having big boilers in their basements, 682 00:31:06,198 --> 00:31:09,067 they receive steam from one of Consolidated Edison Company's 683 00:31:09,201 --> 00:31:11,503 six steam generation stations, 684 00:31:11,636 --> 00:31:13,505 the largest steam system in the world. 685 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,008 - Over the course of a year, they're putting 686 00:31:17,142 --> 00:31:20,846 30 billion pounds of steam into the Con Ed steam system. 687 00:31:20,979 --> 00:31:23,615 It's sent out into 105 miles of underground pipe 688 00:31:23,749 --> 00:31:26,184 throughout Manhattan, going from the tip of Manhattan 689 00:31:26,318 --> 00:31:27,953 up to 96th Street. 690 00:31:28,086 --> 00:31:30,622 We service nearly 1800 customers. 691 00:31:30,756 --> 00:31:32,357 (upbeat music) 692 00:31:32,491 --> 00:31:35,093 - [Narrator] The 74th Street Con Ed steam generating plant 693 00:31:35,227 --> 00:31:38,864 alone puts out about 2 million pounds of steam per hour. 694 00:31:38,997 --> 00:31:41,032 - [Charles] We have three high pressure boilers 695 00:31:41,166 --> 00:31:43,402 here at 74th Street, and we create a fireball 696 00:31:43,535 --> 00:31:46,238 inside the boiler, which heats up 60 thousand gallons 697 00:31:46,371 --> 00:31:50,142 per hour of water, which goes up to the drum, 698 00:31:50,275 --> 00:31:52,144 that flashes into steam. 699 00:31:52,277 --> 00:31:53,912 - Each of our three high pressure boilers 700 00:31:54,045 --> 00:31:55,147 has two steam drums. 701 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,483 They produce approximately 450 thousand pounds of steam 702 00:31:58,650 --> 00:32:01,686 per hour, at a temperature of 800 degrees. 703 00:32:01,820 --> 00:32:04,456 Each drum extends back 25 to 30 feet, 704 00:32:04,589 --> 00:32:07,058 so you're only seeing the face of it right here. 705 00:32:07,192 --> 00:32:08,560 - [Narrator] In a central control room, 706 00:32:08,693 --> 00:32:11,863 workers carefully monitor both the steam production process 707 00:32:11,997 --> 00:32:13,331 and the delivery system. 708 00:32:13,465 --> 00:32:16,868 - We produce steam at 800 psi, 709 00:32:17,002 --> 00:32:20,338 and a high temperature of 840 degrees. 710 00:32:20,472 --> 00:32:22,741 For the safety of the steam system unit, 711 00:32:22,874 --> 00:32:27,712 we reduce that pressure to 200 psi and 410 degrees, 712 00:32:27,846 --> 00:32:30,916 which we send out in the underground pipes. 713 00:32:31,049 --> 00:32:32,784 - This is our steam mimic system. 714 00:32:32,918 --> 00:32:36,087 This system monitors over 105 miles of piping 715 00:32:36,221 --> 00:32:37,422 in the steam system. 716 00:32:37,556 --> 00:32:39,291 It monitors the pressure in the steam system, 717 00:32:39,424 --> 00:32:41,893 so if there is a problem anywhere in the system 718 00:32:42,027 --> 00:32:43,762 throughout Manhattan, we'll know immediately 719 00:32:43,895 --> 00:32:46,031 where that problem is, and we can dispatch crews there 720 00:32:46,164 --> 00:32:47,332 to correct the problem. 721 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:49,434 - [Narrator] Con Edison has been 722 00:32:49,568 --> 00:32:52,070 in the steam business since 1930. 723 00:32:52,204 --> 00:32:54,573 The underground pipe responsible for this explosion 724 00:32:54,706 --> 00:32:57,042 was laid in 1923. 725 00:32:57,175 --> 00:32:59,211 It was part of the pre-existing steam system 726 00:32:59,344 --> 00:33:02,347 Con Edison purchased that first began supplying steam 727 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,783 to Manhattan customers in 1882. 728 00:33:07,152 --> 00:33:09,120 Does that mean steam is outdated? 729 00:33:10,222 --> 00:33:11,490 Not a chance. 730 00:33:11,623 --> 00:33:14,292 The Hearst Tower, considered technologically 731 00:33:14,426 --> 00:33:16,294 and environmentally state of the art, 732 00:33:16,428 --> 00:33:18,864 is one of Con Edison's customers, 733 00:33:18,997 --> 00:33:21,233 - We're in the basement of the Hearst Tower, 734 00:33:21,366 --> 00:33:23,301 where the steam from the Con Edison plant 735 00:33:23,435 --> 00:33:25,837 comes in through the street, in this pipe, 736 00:33:25,971 --> 00:33:29,908 at 175 pounds per square inch. 737 00:33:30,041 --> 00:33:33,111 It then gets reduced through the control panel here 738 00:33:33,245 --> 00:33:37,916 to 60 pounds, ultimately getting reduced to 15 pounds, 739 00:33:38,049 --> 00:33:40,252 and it then supplies all the heat 740 00:33:40,385 --> 00:33:42,120 and hot water to the building. 741 00:33:43,455 --> 00:33:45,891 - [Narrator] Inside the building's 10 story high atrium, 742 00:33:46,024 --> 00:33:49,761 there are no old-fashioned radiators or hot air vents. 743 00:33:49,895 --> 00:33:52,063 Instead, the heat derived from the steam 744 00:33:52,197 --> 00:33:54,532 flows in tubes under the tile flooring, 745 00:33:54,666 --> 00:33:56,334 creating a comfortable ambient temperature 746 00:33:56,468 --> 00:33:58,470 in the huge space. 747 00:33:58,603 --> 00:34:00,739 - The steam that we use is calculated 748 00:34:00,872 --> 00:34:03,341 in these meters here that Con Edison comes to read. 749 00:34:03,475 --> 00:34:06,645 We're using far less steam than was originally projected 750 00:34:06,778 --> 00:34:09,548 due to the efficiency of our heating systems. 751 00:34:09,681 --> 00:34:13,218 - [Narrator] While Con Ed boils water to provide steam heat, 752 00:34:13,351 --> 00:34:15,687 the goal of other companies is to turn steam 753 00:34:15,820 --> 00:34:17,322 back into water. 754 00:34:17,455 --> 00:34:19,891 This facility processes and packages 755 00:34:20,025 --> 00:34:23,194 a variety of water products, including distilled water. 756 00:34:24,462 --> 00:34:26,364 Distillation involves boiling water 757 00:34:26,498 --> 00:34:28,800 and vaporizing it into steam. 758 00:34:28,934 --> 00:34:31,403 Boiling sterilizes the water, and when the steam 759 00:34:31,536 --> 00:34:34,873 lifts out of it, salts and other solids are left behind. 760 00:34:36,341 --> 00:34:39,010 Then the steam is cooled, and when it condenses back 761 00:34:39,144 --> 00:34:42,781 into liquid form, it's as close to pure H2O as possible. 762 00:34:45,150 --> 00:34:47,118 While distillation can produce clean water 763 00:34:47,252 --> 00:34:49,154 from a very contaminated source, 764 00:34:49,287 --> 00:34:52,457 this process begins with the municipal water supply. 765 00:34:54,025 --> 00:34:55,527 - It arrives in the pipe above, 766 00:34:55,660 --> 00:34:58,997 fairly directly from the Sierras, as it turns out, 767 00:34:59,130 --> 00:35:00,799 but we treat it before processing 768 00:35:00,932 --> 00:35:02,200 through the distilled. 769 00:35:02,334 --> 00:35:04,602 First, we run it through some sand filters 770 00:35:04,736 --> 00:35:06,137 to take out particulate matter. 771 00:35:06,271 --> 00:35:08,940 We run it through carbon filters to take out chlorine 772 00:35:09,074 --> 00:35:12,210 that might be present, and then we run it through softeners 773 00:35:12,344 --> 00:35:14,079 to take out the hardness. 774 00:35:14,212 --> 00:35:16,681 All this is done to provide very clean water 775 00:35:16,815 --> 00:35:19,150 before we even enter the distillation process. 776 00:35:20,452 --> 00:35:21,920 - [Narrator] To eliminate any contaminants 777 00:35:22,053 --> 00:35:24,389 picked up in the system, the distilled water 778 00:35:24,522 --> 00:35:28,093 runs through sub-micron filters, and then into a tank 779 00:35:28,226 --> 00:35:30,628 where ozone gas bubbles up through it 780 00:35:30,762 --> 00:35:33,231 to treat any remaining impurities. 781 00:35:33,365 --> 00:35:35,266 Now it's ready for bottling. 782 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:37,769 - This is about as pure as you can get for water. 783 00:35:37,902 --> 00:35:41,272 It's half a part of so per million of dissolved solids. 784 00:35:41,406 --> 00:35:42,874 - [Narrator] The water in the gallon containers 785 00:35:43,008 --> 00:35:45,410 is an all purpose product that's recommended 786 00:35:45,543 --> 00:35:48,480 for use in steam irons, but compared to regular water, 787 00:35:48,613 --> 00:35:51,349 distilled water is relatively tasteless. 788 00:35:52,984 --> 00:35:56,054 So to bottle drinking water, these tanks add back 789 00:35:56,187 --> 00:35:59,190 brand-specific electrolytes and minerals. 790 00:35:59,324 --> 00:36:02,160 These actually make the water healthier to drink 791 00:36:02,293 --> 00:36:04,062 and give it a more appealing taste. 792 00:36:08,133 --> 00:36:08,933 (fun electronic music) 793 00:36:09,034 --> 00:36:10,835 While this plodding mechanized oddity 794 00:36:10,969 --> 00:36:12,637 may look like it just walked off the pages 795 00:36:12,771 --> 00:36:16,007 of a Jules Verne novel, it's actually part of a trend 796 00:36:16,141 --> 00:36:17,308 known as steam punk. 797 00:36:18,910 --> 00:36:21,413 The term has been around since the late 1980s 798 00:36:21,546 --> 00:36:23,848 to label contemporary drawings and objects 799 00:36:23,982 --> 00:36:26,151 designed with a pseudo Victorian bent. 800 00:36:27,986 --> 00:36:31,022 In his garage in a quiet central California neighborhood, 801 00:36:31,156 --> 00:36:34,726 I-Wei Huang began turning his steam punk art 802 00:36:34,859 --> 00:36:37,829 into a steam-powered reality. 803 00:36:37,962 --> 00:36:40,565 - I've drawn steam punk kind of inspired art 804 00:36:40,698 --> 00:36:43,768 pretty much all my life, drawing old robots and stuff 805 00:36:43,902 --> 00:36:46,871 that uses old Victorian technology. 806 00:36:47,005 --> 00:36:49,507 And I put a lot of thought into how, in my work 807 00:36:49,641 --> 00:36:51,710 and the technology behind it, 808 00:36:51,843 --> 00:36:55,580 so much so that I decided that it might actually work. 809 00:36:56,748 --> 00:36:57,949 - [Narrator] I-Wei, who makes a living 810 00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:00,652 working for a video game company, doesn't build 811 00:37:00,785 --> 00:37:05,423 his own parts, and the miniature steam engines he uses 812 00:37:05,557 --> 00:37:06,958 come from hobby stores. 813 00:37:08,093 --> 00:37:10,328 It's the unusual ways he cobbles everything together 814 00:37:10,462 --> 00:37:11,963 that grabs people's attention. 815 00:37:13,064 --> 00:37:14,432 (steam whistle blowing) 816 00:37:14,566 --> 00:37:17,736 - This one actually won the best of show in RoboGames. 817 00:37:17,869 --> 00:37:19,771 It's in the shape of a trilobite, 818 00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:22,373 which is a prehistoric animal. 819 00:37:22,507 --> 00:37:24,075 (steam whistle blowing) 820 00:37:24,209 --> 00:37:28,847 Steam is very intriguing because you get to play with fire, 821 00:37:28,980 --> 00:37:30,248 and you get to play with something 822 00:37:30,381 --> 00:37:32,684 that's a little bit dangerous, a little bit unusual. 823 00:37:32,817 --> 00:37:33,918 It's all visual. 824 00:37:34,052 --> 00:37:35,887 You can see it, you can smell it. 825 00:37:36,020 --> 00:37:37,956 So this is the steam rover. 826 00:37:38,089 --> 00:37:42,961 It's basically a steam engine powered, it's six wheel drive, 827 00:37:43,094 --> 00:37:45,430 four wheels steering, low steam machine. 828 00:37:46,731 --> 00:37:49,400 It's one of the more powerful ones I have, 829 00:37:49,534 --> 00:37:52,537 and it's just a blast to drive around. 830 00:37:52,670 --> 00:37:53,905 - [Narrator] Most of I-Wei's engines 831 00:37:54,038 --> 00:37:56,741 sound like tiny locomotives, but this one 832 00:37:56,875 --> 00:37:58,843 makes a distinctly different sound. 833 00:37:58,977 --> 00:38:02,013 (turbine spinning) 834 00:38:02,147 --> 00:38:05,350 - I decided to do a turbine since I've done so many 835 00:38:05,483 --> 00:38:08,319 piston-driven steam machines. 836 00:38:08,453 --> 00:38:11,089 So it was a challenge finding a turbine 837 00:38:11,222 --> 00:38:13,191 that actually works well. 838 00:38:13,324 --> 00:38:16,227 It uses us a lot of steam very, very fast, 839 00:38:16,361 --> 00:38:19,063 and has super high RPM, but not a whole lot of torque, 840 00:38:19,197 --> 00:38:22,066 so a lot of gearing down is required. 841 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,102 The forward reverse is done by a clutch 842 00:38:24,235 --> 00:38:27,005 because the turbine only turns one way. 843 00:38:27,138 --> 00:38:28,506 This is the steam centipede. 844 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,676 It's one of my most complex machines that I've built. 845 00:38:31,810 --> 00:38:33,511 It has 32 legs. 846 00:38:33,645 --> 00:38:36,281 In old science fiction movies, 847 00:38:36,414 --> 00:38:38,983 there's a lot of steam walking machines, 848 00:38:39,117 --> 00:38:42,453 but there's a reason why it's really hard to pull off. 849 00:38:42,587 --> 00:38:45,190 It's just not as efficient as wheels. 850 00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:48,660 - [Narrator] I-Wei has managed to get even his most 851 00:38:48,793 --> 00:38:51,462 complex designs up and running on a small scale. 852 00:38:52,597 --> 00:38:54,399 But what about a full-sized version? 853 00:38:54,532 --> 00:38:59,037 - I would love to see one of these huge steam machines, 854 00:38:59,170 --> 00:39:01,472 something like this, that can carry people around, 855 00:39:01,606 --> 00:39:05,543 but this already scares me that the boilers could fail. 856 00:39:05,677 --> 00:39:08,646 On a big scale, that's not something 857 00:39:08,780 --> 00:39:10,648 that I want to think about. 858 00:39:10,782 --> 00:39:13,852 - [Narrator] But in nearby Oakland, a group of artisans 859 00:39:13,985 --> 00:39:16,554 operating under the Kinetic Steam Works banner, 860 00:39:16,688 --> 00:39:19,224 take on the challenge of dealing with fire and water 861 00:39:19,357 --> 00:39:23,161 on a much bigger scale, with sometimes startling results. 862 00:39:24,495 --> 00:39:25,897 (flame flaring) 863 00:39:26,030 --> 00:39:28,499 - Here at Kinetic Steam Works, we have a complete reverence 864 00:39:28,633 --> 00:39:30,635 for the vintage equipment and the stylings 865 00:39:30,768 --> 00:39:32,337 of the way things used to be done. 866 00:39:32,470 --> 00:39:35,006 We really like to take the vintage equipment 867 00:39:35,139 --> 00:39:37,475 and then use it for contemporary art pieces. 868 00:39:37,609 --> 00:39:38,943 (steam hissing) 869 00:39:40,011 --> 00:39:43,615 - [Narrator] Like their 1920 traction engine named Hortense, 870 00:39:43,748 --> 00:39:45,717 that provided the steam power for a belt drive 871 00:39:45,850 --> 00:39:47,685 that turned a carousel. 872 00:39:47,819 --> 00:39:49,787 - There were actually steam carousels back in the day. 873 00:39:49,921 --> 00:39:52,690 This was a little bit more on an industrial scale, 874 00:39:52,824 --> 00:39:56,060 and it really was a massive belt movement 875 00:39:56,194 --> 00:39:58,997 and gear motion, reciprocating motion 876 00:39:59,130 --> 00:40:01,633 that was as much of a pleasure to ride the carousel 877 00:40:01,766 --> 00:40:04,035 as it was to watch the entire operation. 878 00:40:05,837 --> 00:40:07,372 (steam hissing) 879 00:40:07,505 --> 00:40:08,873 - [Narrator] At the Kinetic Steam Works' 880 00:40:09,007 --> 00:40:12,343 6000 square foot shop, the group fires up a small boiler 881 00:40:12,477 --> 00:40:15,113 to supply steam to some of their smaller projects. 882 00:40:16,614 --> 00:40:18,683 - The boiler is called the Blister by some, 883 00:40:18,816 --> 00:40:21,052 and Little Baby Steamy Pants by some others. 884 00:40:22,253 --> 00:40:25,356 We have a fire box, and right now we're burning 885 00:40:25,490 --> 00:40:27,692 liquid fuel and wood. 886 00:40:27,825 --> 00:40:29,127 Here comes some steam. 887 00:40:31,930 --> 00:40:33,965 (motor running) 888 00:40:34,098 --> 00:40:35,900 - This is a mock up of what might have been used 889 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:39,203 in a factory at the turn of the century, 890 00:40:39,337 --> 00:40:41,439 the last century, not this closest one, 891 00:40:41,572 --> 00:40:45,009 where you've got steam coming to a small engine like this 892 00:40:45,143 --> 00:40:47,645 and there's a PTO, a power take off here 893 00:40:47,779 --> 00:40:51,883 that the sewing machine operator can tension this belt 894 00:40:52,016 --> 00:40:53,217 or de-tension it. 895 00:40:53,351 --> 00:40:54,919 It just basically takes steam power, 896 00:40:55,053 --> 00:40:56,688 turns it into centripetal force, 897 00:40:56,821 --> 00:40:59,757 and makes the flywheel on the sewing machine work. 898 00:41:00,992 --> 00:41:03,061 - Not everything we do here is practical 899 00:41:03,194 --> 00:41:03,861 at Kinetic Steam Works. 900 00:41:03,995 --> 00:41:07,765 However, art can be a lot of fun. 901 00:41:07,899 --> 00:41:09,567 This is a sculpture that I put together 902 00:41:09,701 --> 00:41:11,602 out of old musical instruments. 903 00:41:11,736 --> 00:41:13,972 One of the things that we as an organization did 904 00:41:14,105 --> 00:41:16,708 was restore a steam boat, a paddle wheel 905 00:41:16,841 --> 00:41:20,845 stern wheel steam boat, and it was a beautiful experience. 906 00:41:20,978 --> 00:41:23,815 The artist that we collaborated with, Swoon, 907 00:41:23,948 --> 00:41:27,418 she decorated our vessel, and despite the fact 908 00:41:27,552 --> 00:41:30,188 that it didn't necessarily look like a steam boat 909 00:41:30,321 --> 00:41:33,291 of the 1800s, it ran like one. 910 00:41:33,424 --> 00:41:35,126 - [Narrator] The steam boat now sits quietly 911 00:41:35,259 --> 00:41:37,395 in the back of the shop, while the Steam Works gang 912 00:41:37,528 --> 00:41:39,230 is dreaming up their next project. 913 00:41:40,631 --> 00:41:45,503 In the meantime, let's just blow off a little steam. 914 00:41:46,104 --> 00:41:46,771 (steam hissing) 915 00:41:46,904 --> 00:41:48,439 (steam whistle blowing) 916 00:41:48,573 --> 00:41:50,908 (piston moving) 917 00:41:51,042 --> 00:41:52,543 (water wheel turning) 918 00:41:52,677 --> 00:41:54,712 (engine pumping) 919 00:41:54,846 --> 00:41:55,913 (steam hissing) 920 00:41:56,047 --> 00:41:57,915 (steam whistle blowing) 921 00:41:58,049 --> 00:41:59,417 (car squeaking) 922 00:41:59,550 --> 00:42:01,185 (steam organ playing) 923 00:42:01,319 --> 00:42:02,387 (steam hissing) 924 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,490 (steam whistle blowing) 925 00:42:05,623 --> 00:42:08,926 (train whistle blowing) 926 00:42:09,660 --> 00:42:11,662 (engine chugging)