(RV + Rocky Hike) *( Brewery + Bar) = Tractor Museum

[oliver2-44 8,852]

We took the RV to Fredericksburg, TX which is about 80 miles from home.  Fredericksburg has capitalized on its old German Heritage, Peach growing, and now Wineries.  The granite gravel sandy loan is said to be excellent for some variety of grapes. There are said to be 50-60 Wineries, Vineyards and recently Distilleries in a 50 mile radius of the town. My Uncle Eddie spoiled me in my teenage youth with his sweet Muscadine homemade wine, so I'm not much of a dry/tart wine person.  

 

Part of our trip was to visit and Hike at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.   This 430 ft reddish pink granite done is a tiny exposed part of a 100 square mile granite rock.  

This photo is of off their website, much better than mine. The There are 11 miles of trail.  The nice trail you see in the picture ends around the corner.

 

 

We hiked about a mile to the bottom of the solid rock dome, then about a mile winding around the base of the dome.  It had drizzled a little during the night in front of a cool front that was to blow through late in the evening.  We saw some people slipping and falling as they climbed the dome.  my wifes knee started bothering her a little, so we turned around an left it for a future day.  I've climbed to the top when I was 20 years younger , with my sons on a Scout campout there. 

I suspect @ebinmaine would enjoy a hike here, even where we were part way up the view was spectacular. I certainly was on the lookout for rattlesnakes sunning themselves around the rocks, none seen, but there were there.. 

 

So I took my wife back to the RV and ..............

Headed to a Tractor Museum.............that happen to be at a German Brewery..........that happened to have a tasting Pub.

List of their Brews. I tried their German Pilsner and Doppelbock, 2 ends of the spectrum.  Zier Gut!

 

These wheels on the 110 HP Case steamer are over 7 ft tall.  Ive never seen a wood steamer operating.  This is a beast of a machine!

I love the 3 brass steam whistles!

 

 

 

 

 

Of course this tracked Oliver was one of my favorites. 

 

 

 

This is the Brewery, Restaurant and Special Events 

@Tractorhead, Their was a sign that said they are guided by the German Bier purity laws of 1516 and are brewed using only four ingredients: hops, barley, yeast and artesian spring water. 

 

It was a great way to end an afternoon.

P.S. yes I could walk around the tractors while enjoying by bier. 

Edited November 18, 2021 by oliver2-44

[JoeM 7,622]

Tractors, tasting pub with German Pils? Awesome!

 

(not much for hikes, to many worn out body parts)

 

I like it!

[ebinmaine 63,095]

Fantastic!!!

 

What a day!!!

 

 

[Achto 26,548]

Thanks for the great pictures!!

 

The 110hp Case is indeed quite a machine. It was also the very first tractor with power steering. Not sure if you noticed but there was no steering wheel on that tractor. Steering was accomplished with levers that sent steam to turn the steering spool.  There is one these that comes to one of the local shows WI. It usually spends some time running a saw mill, threshing machine, and on occasion pulling a 12 bottom plow. 

 

The Bower City steam engine is one that I have not heard of before. Being made in Janesville WI, I would have thought that I would have seen one locally.

 

3 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

Ive never seen a wood steamer operating.

 

I am infatuated with steam tractors, unfortunately my bank account will not support owning one. I do have some friends who will allow me to run their engines at shows some times. One of my favorite ones to run is my friend Willie's Illinois engine (one of 6 in operating condition). If he says I can run it, I'm there in the morning to clean the flues and start the fire with bells on.  @oliver2-44, I really hope you get the opportunity to see one running and working some day. The power generated by these 100+yr old machines is really a site to behold. Steam engines rated their horse power with Clydesdales, gas engines horse power is rated with Shetland ponies.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Achto

[Maxwell-8 4,270]

3000$ in 1907, that wasn't cheap!

[Pullstart 59,686]

One of each please!  Tractors too!

 

Afterall, they don’t call me the Pullhosen’s for nothin’!

[ebinmaine 63,095]

8 hours ago, Achto said:

Steam engines rated their horse power with Clydesdales, gas engines horse power is rated with Shetland ponies

That's a great way to put that.

 

Gobs and gobs of torque and horsepower and many of them below 1,000 RPM.

 

Imagine if they could turn 3000? 4000? Higher?

Some of those numbers would be nearly mind-boggling.

[Achto 26,548]

3 hours ago, Maxwell-8 said:

3000$ in 1907, that wasn't cheap!

 

A working steam traction engine will run you around $100,000+ today. Did a little searching and found one working unrestored Case for $120,000.

[oliver2-44 8,852]

10 hours ago, Achto said:

I am infatuated with steam tractors, unfortunately my bank account will not support owning one.

@oliver2-44, I really hope you get the opportunity to see one running and working some day. The power generated by these 100+yr old machines is really a site to behold.

 

Steam engines rated their horse power with Clydesdales, gas engines horse power is rated with Shetland ponies.

@Achto
Having worked around coal and gas fired steam power plants just makes me want to see one of these behemoths even more! 
When I worked as a Mechanical Construction Inspector I assisted the welding inspector by riding a 300 ft cable scaffold to visually  inspect miles of boiler waterfall tube panel welds.  Low pressure water wall tube welds were dye checked and high pressure piping welds were x-rayed.   One of the impressive events starting up a new steam boiler is Steam Blow. Before the High Pressure 2400 psi 1000 F Main Steam pipe is connected to the turbine it is temporarily routed high outside.  The boiler is fired and at gradually increasing pressure the main steam stop valve is popped open. The roar is deafening and earth shaking. The puppies is to blow all the crap nuts bolts coke cans rust particles out of the boiler. They intermittently blow till a aluminum target several hundred feet from the end of the pipe has no impingement. It takes several days. Yes I’ve tasted steam and want to see it run a tractor. 

[oliver2-44 8,852]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

That's a great way to put that.

 

Gobs and gobs of torque and horsepower and many of them below 1,000 RPM.

 

Imagine if they could turn 3000? 4000? Higher?

Some of those numbers would be nearly mind-boggling.

@ebinmaine At the steam power plants the turbine turned 3600 rpm. Their 600Mw output equaled 804,613.254 HP.  Smooth rumbling power beyond imagination!

Edited November 19, 2021 by oliver2-44

[wh500special 2,053]

15 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

This 430 ft reddish pink granite done is a tiny exposed part of a 100 square mile granite rock.  

....

 

 

 

 

 

 

100-square mile rock?  Geez, even the rocks are bigger in Texas I see.  We'd call that a mountain here in the Prairie State.

 

Boswell, IN...I used to live near there!  How in the heck did that thing find its way so far from home?

 

Steam power is very romantic and cool.  To be around them when they are working hard is an immersive experience for all your senses...the fragrant smoke, the sounds, the vibrations, the fireworks show from the embers leaving the stack, the radiated heat...primal stuff.

 

There's one of those 110 Hp Case engines at the nearby showgrounds in Pinckneyville, IL.  An impressive machine and they work it too on the sawmill and whatnot.  Unless it's really pulling a load, the thing is almost silent puttering around.

 

Maybe it's my lack of adventure, but I don't get anywhere close to those 100-year old timebombs when they're pumped up.  Inspections or no, those things have seen a lot of hold/cold/vibration cycles in their time and second law of thermo rears its ugly head at inopportune times.  Metallurgy has come a long way since those things were hammered together in the days before liability concerns.  Gotta respect what's there.

 

Awesome machine though and those look impeccably preserved.

 

Thanks for posting the pix!

 

Steve

[Achto 26,548]

2 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

Their 600Mw output equaled 804,613.254 HP.

 

That would make the 2Mw, 3000hp, 16cyl diesel's that I work on seem like a Tonka toy.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Achto