Heretic's Corner
As I have said many times, I consider those who prefer diesel power to steam power to be akin to those who prefer their own gender as partners. But even I can 'swing both ways' a bit when confronted with machines of the same vintage as some of the steam power in the rice mills of Burma. Two names seem to crop up again and again - Blackstone and (especially) Ruston. We have yet to see one of the former actually at work, but a couple have been seen in obviously workable condition, this one was in Kachin State:
In Thailand, some Rustons have been butchered and a steam cylinder added to make a hybrid engine, in Burma they tend to be stored in good order as they are presumably inefficient compared to modern machines. This is a typical example which had been used as power for a small rice mill which was out of use (it's for sale if anyone is interested!):
It was only on our third stationary steam grice that the 'poop -- poop -- poop -- poop' noise from a peanut oil mill led us to a working example, who knows, maybe it was burning a small amount of its own product as fuel....
If you enjoy peanut butter, then look away, basically it's the stuff that appears in the middle lower of the picture.... It looks like shit to me.
There is more like this in:
Temples of Steam 2007 - An update to our 2005 and 2006 reports
Portable Paradise (2007) - Travels in the far north....
Another Luxury Irrawaddy River Cruise (2007) - Dancing the Masochism Tango
The Pinbaw Wizard (2007) - More masochism....
Chinese Takeaway (2007) - Yuehong's new baby...
Irrawaddy Steamers (2007) - Worthy successors to the historic ships
Burmese Hens' Teeth (2007) - A handful of one-offs
Temples of Steam 2006 - An update to our 2005 report
Return to Dakhondaing (2006) - More than just nostalgia....
Temples of Steam (2006) - Sagaing Division
A Day in the Life (2006) - Stationary Steam Engine gricing in the west of Bago Division
Appropriate Technology (2006) - Burma's newest rice mill
Luxury Irrawaddy River Cruise (2006)
Keeping Body and Soul Together in Burma (2006)
Temples of Steam 2005 - Introduction
Temples of Steam (2005) - Mon State
Kawkapun Rice Mill (2005) - Appropriate technology taken to its limits. The account includes a mill diagram / flow chart of the milling process.
Dakhondaing Rice Mill (2005) - A classic mill, unspoiled by progress. The account includes a description of the basic milling process as well as gratuitous insults to armchair enthusiasts....
Click here for the International Stationary Steam Engine Page.
Rob Dickinson
Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk