1913 Christie Front Drive steam pumper/ fire engine

The restoration is remarkable, but the concept used in this construction is astonishing and innovative. Brilliant really, Walter Christie was a gifted engineer, and made the first front wheel drive car, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/first-front-wheel-drive-car-1904.html and raced it in 1905 in the Vanderbilt Cup.

But getting back to the steam pumper... Christie didn't get in over his head and make the existing tech obsolete, he made it better. You may have realized that Microsoft is the world's top software company because it makes it's Windows better, not obsolete, and this made Bill Gates the world's richest man... improvements, not obsolescence.

Like I was saying, Walter looked at what needed to be improved, and took the opportunity to make horse drawn fire steam pumpers self propelled once they were equipped with his front wheel drive units instead of horses. Horses were already 10 years into the age of the car, and the writing was on the wall.

Fire department equipment is really expensive, and Walter focused on the biggest fire departments on the East Coast to contract with to improve the existing equipment to speed up the delivery of equipment to fires. Notice in the below photo that the front and back have little in common

To easily compare this to the horse drawn model, just click on this link and see it from my gallery http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/san-diego-firehouse-museum_11.html last month of the steam pumper in the San Diego Fire House Museum: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ks7r8a2P4XqHKA1vwYAMvRa_aB6iEP_qjQ57_Qe7NcDo3XiJaYjzW9q0exIkGUzpFcYMIqvbIkFqiFjYNoucqSTHXbvBiEifssT16WX8u6xmscClIPUjJV83gOtLGHnL1ALrT78EDI-A/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG

This is just a short gallery, for a better one, and a full write up on the Christie company and it's founder: http://justacargal-s.blogspot.com/2011/03/1913-christie-fire-engine.html

Steam punk, making things look victorian and brass era, steam powered... that's the idea. It has a lot of aspects though, here's a few

1930's France it seems, because just to the left of the motorwheel is a Citreon Traction Avant

Steam powered ditch digger.. .that is a monster

Cadillac tow truck, for more cars converted into tow trucks see: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/tow-trucks-were-sometimes-made-from-big.html

Johnny Cash and the 1986 Steam Expo. Very cool. Two times.

the above is the Lanz bulldog, 1 cylinder, compression ignition powered

all of these are just an indication of how cool http://steampunkvehicles.tumblr.com/ is

Chicago's first locomotive, the 1837 Pioneer

This was the first locomotive to operate out of Chicago. Called the Pioneer, it was built in 1837 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was originally used by the Utica and Schenectady Railroad in New York. It was later acquired by the Chicago and North Western Railway and put into service there in 1848. The Pioneer still survives, and is on display at the Chicago History Museum.

It's been a long time since I posted a good train photo

René Groebli, 1949
from http://www.sportschrono.com

The Bi-Valve lnterior Combustion Twice-Exhausted Bi-Axle Nitro-Cycle, from the steampunk focused movie, Wild Wild West

If you are also a Kevin Kline, Selma Hayek, and Will Smith fan... or love steam and diesel punk, you'll love this 1999 movie. The bike wheels were built by http://www.hiwheel.com/custom_work/index.htm

Historic trucks blogspot comes across cool old trucks in Australia

Check out all the cool unusual vehicles at http://historictrucks.blogspot.com

pretty good photoshopping, it's a mix of Star Wars, steam locomotive, steam punk, and transformer

from http://www.barnorama.com/star-wars-old-school/

Wow, lowering a train body down onto the chassis. Amazing, just one of those things I've never given a moments thought to how it was made

Does that just blow your mind and make you wish you could hang around and watch while that happens?

1926 Foden 6 ton...

barely an evolutionary step past the first steam tractor, this is some early iron! Wow, how did this survive the last 84 years and still operate?
For some more photos of this and similar great old steam powered tractors: http://ccmv.fotopic.net/p63383593.html

The Thew model O steam shovel from about 1898, self propelled and steered (all others were limited to working from railroads)

Above from Shorpy

The color photos and write up are from http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/8/aft/111626/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Back in the 1890s, Thew, captain of an ore-carrying boat on the Great Lakes, often encountered the problem of handling iron ore once it was deposited on the docks. At that time, such work was done with "railroad-type" steam shovels that traveled on railroad tracks. They were heavy, cumbersome, and could only swing their booms from side to side in a half-circle. Much hand work was required to clean areas beyond the shovel's reach and also to frequently reposition the railroad tracks.

Captain Thew studied these problems of ore handling and conceived a unique machine that would overcome the former difficulties and restrictions. With the help of H.H. Harris, an experienced shovel designer, Thew built his first machine at the Variety Iron Works in Cleveland in 1895. His machine was a fully revolving steam excavator with a 5/8-cubic-yard shovel attachment that could swing in a full circle, the first with this capability built in America. To add even more flexibility, he mounted the machine on four steel traction wheels, which could steer and propel itself without the need for labor-intensive rail tracks. Now able to travel without restriction, the shovel was able to perform any loading or cleanup work over the entire dock property, doing away with most of the hand labor

One of the most impressive photos I've seen, the Oct 1895 Granville-Paris Express wreck

The engine careened across almost 98 ft of the station concourse, crashed through a 2 foot thick wall, shot across a terrace and sailed out of the station, plummeting onto the Place de Rennes 33 ft below, where it stood on its nose. All on board the train survived, five sustaining injuries: two passengers (out of 131), the fireman and two conductors; however, one woman on the street below was killed by falling masonry. The accident was caused by a faulty Westinghouse brake and the engine drivers who were trying to make up for lost time. A conductor incurred a 25 franc penalty and the engine driver a 50 franc penalty.
Via: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Train_wreck_at_Montparnasse_1895.jpg

If the look of a 100 year old car doesn't entrance you...., you might not be a car guy

This time warp Stanley was originally purchased by a manufacturer of roller skates. It was used in business until replaced by another vehicle, then stored away in a barn.
Discovered many years later, it was purchased by a series of collectors through 1981. Virtually unchanged since it was built, the car has been considered “too good to restore” by many enthusiasts and has served as an authentic reference for restoration of many other cars.

The car is all in original condition, with vestigial hints of the original green paint visible on the wood body. The fenders are thin strips of bent wood, and are unmarred. The black leather seats are entirely original and well preserved, with the exception of the bottom front cushions, which have been covered to prevent further deterioration. The brass lighting is all correct and unblemished, though tarnished.

It was put into running order by replacing the boiler with a modern reproduction, although the original is included with the car. The burner was rebuilt and the car has participated in several high-profile events, including the centennial observance of F.O. Stanley’s first ascent of Mt. Washington in 1999. It served as the model for Ken Dallison artwork on a 12-cent U.S. postage stamp issued in 1985. It also was featured at the 2006 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it proved a spectators’ favorite, particularly on the Friday tour for steam cars.

To see what it would look like restored: http://www.saratogaautomuseum.com/exhibits.php?CID=73 and a gallery of similar pre-ww1 cool old cars

Parade at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum (steam tractors)

If you like old tractors, but a little bit newer, try the post on gas powered ones: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/parade-at-antique-gas-and-steam-engine_5537.html

or if dozers and cat track driven stuff is more to your liking: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/parade-at-antique-gas-and-steam-engine_06.html

or if you are a fan of John Deere tractors: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/parade-at-antique-gas-and-steam-engine_05.html

or if you'd like to see the skits they put on when they parade the tractors through for the visitors: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/parade-at-antique-gas-and-steam-engine_5903.html

If you like antique cars and trucks that drove through: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/parade-at-antique-gas-and-steam-engine.html