“THE SWITZERLAND TRAIL OF AMERICA”

Steam Engines in Boulder

Painting by Howard Fogg

Boulder’s Railroad

Railroad built from Boulder west into the mountains to serve mining camps in late 1800s

Track was laid from Boulder west to Sunset, north to Ward , south to Sugarloaf Mtn. and Eldora

Rails torn up in 1919Nickname “Switzerland Trail of America”

was created by Professor Snooks, Weld County Superintendent of Schools

Map of Railroad, circa 1905

Courtesy of Todd Hackett

The Grade Today

Roadbed still exists today as public roads

Can be traveled by car or mountain bike

Approaching Sugarloaf on Eldora Spur

September 30, 2007 — Photo by Shane Schabow

The Grade Today (continued)

Rock cut on Ward spur, below Mont Alto ParkSeptember 24, 2005 — Photo by Shane Schabow

Rock cuts on the railroad often filled with snow during the winter. Locomotives had to buck their way through, backing up and ramming the snow repeatedly.

Winter Railroading

Locomotive #30 in “Gold Hill Cut,” west of Mont Alto Park, spring 1899

Snow Fighting

A steam locomotive violently plows through snowdrifts near Ward

Steam Power in the Mountains

The railroad owned and operated six steam locomotives of varied designs

The engines pulled both passenger and freight trains

Steam Power in the Mountains

#30 with a passenger train at Mont Alto, 1899

Steam Power in the Mountains

Locomotive and railroad crew, 1899

Steam Power in the Mountains

Freight Train at Sugarloaf, circa 1910

Steam Power in the Mountains

The powerful #33 with two women at Glacier Lake, circa 1910

Where Are They Today?

All but one of the locomotives were scrappedThe sole surviving engine, #30, is currently

undergoing restoration in Denver (see below)

October 5, 2007 – Photo by Sharon Spera

 The first steam machine in recorded history (c. 100 BC) was a rotating toy, the “aeolipile,” invented by Greek inventor and engineer, Heron of Alexandria.

100 BC

 The first practical steam engine was developed by a Scottish inventor named James Watt in 1775.

1775

Early applications of steam engines included pumping and propulsion for ships. During the height of the industrial revolution, steam engines powered nearly everything: Factories Sawmills Machine shops Ships Trains

By the late 1950s, steam was phased out of use and replaced by the diesel engine in both marine and railroad service.

19201943

The power in steam comes from both its heat and expansive properties. The heat present in the steam gives thermal energy. Steam by its nature has immense expansive energy stored within the molecules.

The compressed air that powers these models does not have nearly the power that steam would have.

As a whole, steam engines have very low heat efficiency.

addedenergyheat

enginebydoneworkEfficiency

Efficiencies of Engines

Reciprocating steam17%

Steam turbine 30%Gasoline 25%Diesel

35%

CylinderCylinder

PistonPiston

Piston Piston RodRod

ValveValveValve Valve RodRod

AdmissioAdmission Portsn Ports

Exhaust Exhaust PortPort

Piston motion

Hot steam begins here

• Live steam (red) allowed into left port;

• Steam expands and pushes piston to the right.

• As piston moves to the right, used steam (blue) is pushed out of cylinder.

• The valve directs the steam to the center exhaust port, which exhausts the steam to the atmosphere.

• When the piston and valve are both at center, all ports are closed. No live or used steam enters the ports.

• Steam on left side of piston continues to expand, pushing the piston to the right.

• As the piston finishes moving to the right, the valve moves to the left, allowing the used steam into the exhaust port and opening the right port.

• Live steam (red) flows into right side of cylinder, pushes the piston to the left.

• No live or used steam enters or exits the ports.

• Steam on right side of piston continues to expand, pushing the piston to the left.

• The process repeats as live steam enters on the left side of the piston

Automobiles (the “Stanley Steamer”)

The CU power plant supplies steam to heat buildings, hot water, and generate electricity (here, in the ITL Laboratory!)

Aircraft carriers – steam powers the catapult to accelerate airplanes off the ship

Nuclear submarines – heat from the nuclear reaction creates steam, which drives a steam turbine connected to the propellers

When steam is released from a pressure vessel such as a boiler on a steam locomotive, it expands approximately 400 times in volume!

Steam engines are the only engine that give maximum torque at zero speed.

To explain it another way… This would permit a steam-driven auto to easily climb a curb from a standstill!

What does “SS” stand for?(Hint: The “SS Mino”)

What does “RMS” stand for?(Hint: British designation for a passenger ship, such as the

Titanic)

“SS” = Steam Ship!

“RMS” = Royal Mail Steamer

The Titanic

Painting by Ken Marschall

Titanic and her sister ships, Olympic and Britannic, were all powered by steam engines

The engines were some of the largest steam engines ever built, before or since

Titanic (left) & Olympic (right) at the Belfast Dry Dock at high tide on March 2, 1912

Two main engines, port and starboard, drove Titanic’s main propeller shafts

The steam engines installed on Titanic and her sisters were 30-feet tall, and weighed 1,000 tons

Image showsengines beingassembled inBelfast, Ireland

size of a person

notice person at right-center

Each engine generated 15,000 horsepower at 76 revolutions per minute (rpm)

Each engine had four cylinders, and were of “Triple-Expansion” design, which means the steam was used three different times before being exhausted