If you are broad minded then why not check out "International Working Steam Locomotives"?

Rocket science it certainly is not, but for those of us with a sense of history and an understanding of the meaning of the term 'appropriate technology', then there are still excellent opportunities to get out and about and learn all about what we call in the UK, 'the industrial revolution'. "Dark satanic mills" are still out there in abundance in the 21st century if you know where to look. Get off your collective arses and go out and enjoy it while you can. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed and the chances of finding your trip blighted by the typical package tourist (or terrorist for that matter) are zero.

Click here for links to external pages.

The following Yahoo newsgroups service the stationary steam engine community:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stationary_Steam_Engines/ (potentially a very useful group with nearly 200 members...)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/recprocatingsteamengines/ (not very active!)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/houstoncorliss/ (not very active!)

In view of your interest, you might like to consider joining the International Stationary Steam Engine Society (ISSES) group.

Please see the ISSES Website:  www.isses.org. This is an international enthusiast group HQ'd in Britain, now in our 28th year of publication. Members receive a quarterly well-illustrated 60-page Bulletin packed with steam engine news and articles and an annual c. 100-page Journal, also an annual guide to over 160 UK steam museum/engine sites. Membership is open to all with an interest in stationary or marine steam engines and an application form can be downloaded from our website.

For additional information on ISSES, contact: 
Mr Chris (R.C.) Hodrien,
Technical Adviser,
International Stationary Steam Engine Society (ISSES)
Tel. +44 (0)121 705 0278 (10am - 11 pm)
Email chodrien@blueyonder.co.uk 

During my 2002/3 Java (Indonesia) tours (and also on three independent trips) I was able to take a large number of (digital) images of the interior of the sugar mills which must have the largest concentration of active stationary steam engines in the world today. So far I have coverage of 30 mills (three of which were out of use), the oldest working engine so far documented dates from 1883. I have put 1250 of these images on a CD-ROM in the same style as my steam locomotive CD-ROMs, together with such information as I have been able to put together (or more exactly since it is already running out of hand, such data as I have time to process). Release date was June 2004, not least because I had promised all my friends in Java I would bring them a copy then. Click on the link below if you are interested. Since I now have more than 10000 digital images archived, a more comprehensive set of CD-ROMs for the serious student of stationary steam will be released (much!) later. 

Africa

Central African Republic (added 8th December 2007)

Tim Dray found this Robey compound stored in good condition in an abandoned cotton processing mill in Bouar, in November 2006. Click here for more pictures including a smaller Robey engine.

Ethiopia

I have been told by David Wood that the Wonji sugar mill (located near the large town of Nazareth, about 100 km south east from Addis Ababa) has/had a second hand mill engine from Java, installed by a Dutch company. Almost immediately I posted this I had an email from an old HVA employee, René van Slooten, who stated that the Stork engines at Wonji and Shoa had been replaced by turbines quite recently. And now he tells me (15th May 2007) "I was wrong. A Dutch journalist who was there last month told me that one of the original Stork engines from 1953 in the Wonji sugar mill is still in operation, the other two have been replaced by turbines. Here is a photo of this Stork that I scanned from the magazine."

Madagascar (updated 30th June 2007)

Manfred Schoeler tells me that he recently saw a short sequence on German TV about a steam powered sugar mill on the island of Nosy - Be (12 km from the northwest coast of Madagascar). Apparently the equipment is 1923 vintage state-of-the-art including the distillery for producing rum. As always more information/pictures would be welcome..... I have since (30th June 2007) located a picture dating from October 2006 by Andre Costelli on the web which shows part of one engine which is preserved outside one of the 'ylang-ylang' distilleries which can be visited by tourists near the capital of the island at Hellville:

Mauritius (updated 24th January 2007)

James Waite reported on his visit that month: "I think you're asking if any of the sugar mills are steam driven! We glimpsed St. Felix, in the south west of the island, from outside and which describes itself as the oldest surviving mill on the island, and Mon Desert Alma at Moka, about 6 miles south east of Port Louis, and both were very obviously steam driven and going flat out! I'm afraid we didn't go in - this was, after all, a family holiday! We did go round Beau Champ which was very modern and all-electric, and also Mon Tresor Mon Desert which was much more ancient but still electric. We also went past Mon Loisir and La Barraque, Savannah, which both looked to be electric, as did Highlands. That leaves four other mills on the island which we didn't see at all."

Torsten Schneider has revisited the island (report, 24th January 2007, pictures 25th January 2007) and has found some preserved stationary steam and at least one engine still in use - unfortunately it seems to have been outside the season which presumably will be June to September or thereabouts as the island is in the southern hemisphere.. 

Mayotte (updated 23rd October 2007)

Not much chance of this turning up in a video clip, but fascinating remains of old sugar mill equipment are shown here http://usines-sucrieres-de-mayotte2.over-blog.com. If like me, you didn't know where Mayotte was, then it is one of the Comoros islands in the Mozambique channel and remained a French territory when the other islands became independent. In fact as Laurent Lachery points out this is only the tip of the iceberg, check out http://usines-sucrieres-de-mayotte.over-blog.com/ for links to a massive archive of other industrial relics (23rd October 2007).

Mocambique (added 21st January 2008)

Trevor Heath has sent me this site - http://geoff-cooke.fotopic.net/c1439108.html - lovely pictures of Sena estates in 1975 with steam locos, steam traction engines and steam powered boats. (added 21st January 2008).

Sudan (added 23rd April 2008)

Trevor Heath and Thomas Kautzor tipped me off on this one - surviving stationary steam in south-west Sudan seen in 2002/3 (added 23rd April 2008).

Americas

Argentina 

Sugar Mills in Tucuman, Argentina (31st March 2002) (courtesy of Sylvia Kaufman)

Bermuda (added 22nd April 2008)

Mark Whittaker writes (22nd April 2008) "I have found an Ormerod Grierson & Co static steam engine, in a building in Bermuda where I presently live, the building is due for demolition, and I'm uncertain of the steam engine's fate? It would be a shame to see this engine destroyed, can you give me any advice? Or put me in touch with anyone who might be able to offer advice or help. The plate on the engine's details are:

C, T, PORTERS PATENT, SIZE D NUMBER 73, MAKERS, ORMEROD GRIERSON & CO, MANCHESTER, 1865.

I don't put email addresses on the site these days, but if you can help, please email me and I will forward. Pictures are available - click here.

Brazil (updated 7th July 2007)

Companhia Engenho Central de Quissaman (courtesy of Sergio Martire)

The  museum for the funicular railway at Paranapiacaba (see http://www.abpfsp.com.br/museu_ferroviario_paranapiacaba.htm) has two large stationary engines: (added 17th May 2007). For more images of the museum see these sites - http://br.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/resagi02/album?.dir=540e&.src=p and http://br.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/resagi02/album?.dir=66b5&.src=ph (added 7th July 2007)  

Cuba (courtesy of Ray Gardiner, Chris Hart and Alan Murray Rust)

Luis Arcos Bergnes, Marecelo Salado, Sergio Gozalez, Rafael Freyre and Patria O Muerte Mills (updated 5th May 2002)

Merryweather fire engine (1894) in Havana (updated 23rd December 2003)

Steam winch at Australia Mill (22nd April 2002)

Does anyone have some more pictures of the insides of any mills with such equipment? Chris Hart has sent me this image of a steam winch at Central Obdulio Morales.

French Guyana (Guyene)

Chris Hodrien has sent this link which shows some classic machinery in less than perfectly preserved condition:

http://www.revue.inventaire.culture.gouv.fr/insitu/insitu/article.xsp?numero=8&id_article=goergen-1575

Guadeloupe (added 16th May 2007)

Paul Stephens (Chairman of ISSES) keeps sending me titbits. It seems that the sugar mill/rum distillery (Damoiseau) at Le Moule on Guadeloupe had at least one working steam engine in May 2005. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/88687951@N00/44075755/in/photostream/. There must be quite a lot of kit lying around this part of the world, a quick internet search found pictures of preserved steam at the Poisson Distillery on Marie Galante. See http://www.guadeloupe-fr.com/phototheque/kw_lieu=97160&Moule-/ and http://www.guadeloupe-fr.com/phototheque/kw_lieusujet=distillerie-/. Too expensive and too far away for me to investigate... (See also Martinique.)

As the picture says it is copyright of the distillery, http://www.damoiseau.net/ but as they encourage visitors, I do hope they don't mind me too much using it here! Another picture I found suggests this is probably a Corliss type engine. I would be delighted to add a proper gallery if anyone reading this can oblige..... 

Guatemala (added 25th January 2004)

During my visit to Fegua, I found this serviceable duplex pump next to the locomotive depot in Guatemala City. Steam supply would be courtesy of one of the operational steam locomotives and it would pump water to a water tower. A similar pump (for fuel oil) is mounted in the tender of Baldwin 2-8-2 #204 which bears the name Fairbanks, Morse & Co. Of course it is very similar to such pumps made by Worthington and seen all over Java. 

Later investigation showed a wide variety of additional items, but none active.

Guyana (added 30th Jul 2005)

At least one rice mill here uses a stationary steam engine. See http://www.saams.com/Guyana/Industry_in_Guyana.htm but there is only a tantalising glimpse....

Jamaica (added 12th January 2003)

There is some preserved kit at a sugar mill at Worthy Park.

Martinique (added 20th December 2005)

There appears to be a working steam powered sugar mill/rum distillery here - see http://galerie.ts.online.fr/category.php?cat=1

Any enthusiast visiting should investigate, Martinique's distilleries have a well developed tourist programme and access should be quite easy. One web site suggests that the season starts in February and much cane is hand cut. (See also Guadeloupe.)

Paraguay (updated 27th January 2007)

Darrien Welsby was at the railway workshops in early 2007 and reports - "At Sapucay, the locomotive workshop is still manned by 10 permanent staff who are employed to carry out maintenance on the remaining fleet (at Asuncion and Encarnacion) and take care of the complex. The workshop boilers, stationary steam engines and foundry are all operational, however were not running on the day of my visit." This is the main gem he found, for more pictures, click here (extra pictures 27th January 2007):

Puerto Rico (added 31st August 2006)

Ray Gardener pointed out to me that there is a very interesting web page http://files.asme.org/ASMEORG/Communities/History/Landmarks/5563.pdf which covers the preservation of an 1861 West Point Foundry beam engine from a sugar mill.

South Georgia (updated 14th October 2007)

A short article in Locomotives International included the statement that there was probably at least one surviving stationary steam engine at the former whaling station of Ocean Harbour. An internet search found pictures of a single cylinder horizontal engine and a steam winch taken in the 1990s - http://www.railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk/11bwhalingstatio.html. Robert Burton of the South Georgia Association has provided a succinct summary of the situation with a picture (14th October 2007).

Asia

India (updated 22nd February 2008)

India was always going to be the best bet for variety in operational 21st century stationary steam. Unfortunately, it's quite a large country and there is a limit to what one impoverished couple can achieve on their own. It would be nice to have some help from all you sad, arm-chaired and slipper bound fellow enthusiasts, but your loss is our gain even there is every chance that many good things will be missed as a result. If you've never seen steam hammers at work, then maybe your life is less than complete. Certainly mine was, what do I mean? (25th February 2008) There is now a video clip available (2nd March 2008).

Not 'real' but preserved and well presented are a number of steam engines at the Digboi Centenary (Assam Oil Industry) Museum (25th February 2008), less well conserved are some North Eastern Coalfields Relics (25th February 2008).

21st century appropriate technology - TinyTech Plants of India are now producing small stationary steam engines with boilers - the short report contains pictures and links (two more pictures added, 26th February 2008).

Yuehong and I did a further bash into the unknown and the end of 2006. What did we find? Some wonderful engines at work and rest, just click here. A video clip of this first engine at work is now on the site (5th July 2007) 

It is likely that some tea estates use stationary engines - see this site http://www.greentea.net/tea_process.html.

The ISRS Yahoo Newsgroup isrs-mail-subscribe@yahoogroups.com has been quite helpful. Harsh Vardhan circulated this information a few years back:

"You will find a lot of them if you visit any state owned sugar/paper/pulp mill in UP and Bihar. In fact during my work in India I found that a reciprocating steam engine is more commonly used in Indian sugar industry than a steam turbine or diesel generating set. Lawrence Marshall's Video, 'Indian Steam Sunset' also shows one of these engines at work."

To which I would add that many of the mills in UP and Bihar have not operated regularly for some years and when they did had a very short season (in the January/February/March period). Many are state owned and to visit them permission from the Bihar State Sugar Corporation in Patna, based in Boring Canal Road would be a good idea.

Mani added; "There was a steam engine (I think it was a Crossley) running a generator at the Wimco match factory at Clutterbuckgunj near Barielly. It should still be there as I had seen it 3 years back and it was in excellent condition."

Some 20 years ago, Geoffrey Hill wrote an article for the Bulletin of the International Stationary Steam Engine Society recording what he had seen in Indian sugar mills. No doubt much has now vanished, but it should provide a wonderful jumping off point for future visitors. Check it out (30th June 2006).

I visited a number of these mills in February 2004 (note added 8th April 2004). There are pictures available of Saraya Sugar Mill and also a list of equipment I found in other mills.

Indonesia:

Sweet Spot	Olean - Java's historic sugar mill : For full details and how to order, click here.
Gula Java CD	A picture CD-ROM of historic sugar mills of Java
Gula Java DVDs	9 DVDs showing the historic  sugar mills of Java at work

There are literally hundreds of stationary steam engines at work in Java's sugar mills during the season, use the links below to other pages on this sight.

Gondang Sugar Mill (added 29th October 2002)

Olean Sugar Mill - a candidate for a World Heritage Site (updated 29th October 2002)

Steam Equipment in Javan Sugar Mills (a record of the equipment present, mostly still in use, updated 11th September 2006)

An introduction to Java's sugar mills and their stationary steam engines (added 29th October 2002)

Myanmar (Burma)

There are hundreds of working stationary steam engines in the rice mills here.

Temples of Steam 2007 - a further voyage of discovery, 26th February 2007.

Mohnyin's steam crane - mobile stationary steam, 26th February 2007.

Temples of Steam 2006 - a further voyage of discovery with updated builders' list etc, 10th February 2006, updated 26th April 2006.

Temples of Steam 2005 - completely revised and updated, 10th February 2006

The reports above contain links to more detailed information about stationary steam and travel in general in Myanmar. 

It is also likely that some tea estates use stationary engines - see this site http://www.greentea.net/tea_process.html.

Temples of Steam 2009 Burma Tour Classic working stationary steam...

Temples of Steam DVDs 8 DVDs with more than 100 working stationary steam engines in Burma

Philippines (added 16th March 2007)

As I long suspected some sugar mills here still have stationary steam engines. Bernd Seiler's Far Rail group saw a couple of Corliss valve engines from Fulton Iron Works and Lima/Hamilton working at La Carlota Mill on Negros in early 2007. They are used as a back up for the main mill line which is steam turbine powered. There are also two steam powered Java pumps from 1919, but the steam engine vacuum pump was scrapped in 2005. Later on an independent visit separate from the tour, Thomas Kautzor saw a Skoda engine at C.A. Don Pedro, Nasugbu (Luzon).

Russia (added 14th May 2007)

When Harvey Smith worked on Sakhalin Island in the Far East, he found the remains of assumed Japanese built stationary engines - see his report which includes a picture.

Sri Lanka (added 24th June 2005)

It is likely that some tea estates use stationary engines - see this site http://www.greentea.net/tea_process.html.

Thailand (updated 10th May 2008)

Rob Berkavicius has made a survey of Thai rice mills in much the same way as I have tried to in Burma. There are quite a few steam powered mills and he has provided a tantalising glimpse. This was more than enough for me to decide instantly to book a trip here for late 2005. I found a brand new stationary steam engine and saw a wider range of machine types than I expected although they were all tandem compounds (both links added 14th December 2005). We got a bargain flight to Bangkok in February 2006 and came back earlier than planned for more. See far from the madding crowd,  Thai stationary steam's last hurrah and more 21st century stationary steam engines in Thailand (all links added 9th March 2006).

Alas, like all nearly our voyages of discovery, these reports have provoked almost no response let alone others to 'boldly go' and add to them. An honourable exception is Jack Neville who has visited a mill near Sukothai (10th May 2008).

Turkey (added 3rd October 2007)

Not working steam but Chris Hodrien has let me use an account of preserved steam kit in Istanbul - the article originally appeared in the ISSES Bulletin in Autumn 2006.

Vietnam (added 10th February 2005)

One of the rice mill owners I spoke with in Myanmar had recently been here. He had seen 'one or two' steam powered rice mills although they were very much in the minority of those visited.  

Australasia

Australia (updated 13th April 2003)

The mill at Condong in northern New South Wales appears to have some steam powered machinery, see http://www.aussietourism.net/Aussietourism/states/Qld/gold_coast_region/condong_mill_ad.html and www.nswsugar.com.au.  I am trying to find out more information. Thanks to regular correspondent Chris Hart for this one.

Tom Badger (until recently Shift Supervisor at Condong Mill) adds (28th November 2003) "I can confirm that there are four stationary steam engines currently in use within the New South Wales sugar mills. Harwood Mill and Condong Mill each have two units remaining, driving cane crushing mills. The two at Condong are driven by 560 kPa steam, and develop about 175 kW indicated power. One engine was built by Bundaberg Foundry, the other by Smiths of Glasgow. All of these engines have a limited life expectancy, will probably be replaced by electric drives in the near future."

Fiji

There are pictures of Lautoka Mill, Viti Levu - West Coast on http://joetourist.ca/Fiji/VitiLevu-west.htm. The pictures are not 'new'. Does anyone know what the current situation is here? (10th May 2002)

New Zealand

How Many Engines are there in New Zealand? An article reproduced from the International Stationary Steam Engine Society Bulletin. (added 21st December 2002) In the Bay of Islands at the top of North Island is Collins Brothers Sawmill which is increasingly turning the clock back. See http://www.steam.co.nz/collins.html and http://www.steamsawmill.co.nz/ (added 1st September 2005).

Europe

Azores

John Raby reports (24th June 2005) "You may both be interested in an item on BBC East Midlands Today on 20th  June. 'The biggest island of Azores has a tea plantation 100% equipped by Marshall's of Gainsborough with the last equipment provided in the 1940s.' The brief shots showed steam age equipment including a stationary engine/traction engine but I wasn't able to confirm steam boiler/engine driving the plant. See also  http://www.greentea.net/tea_process.html for background information.

Czech Republic

Kevin Hoggett reports that the ZOS Ceske Velenice railway works in the Czech republic (one mile from the Austrian border at Gmund) has a blacksmith's shop with 4 working steam hammers (updated 25th August 2006). Click here for an account and some pictures.

Germany (updated 5th October 2005)

You don't have to travel to the third world to see working stationary steam engines. See Richard Hingley's report from August/September 2002 - http://mysite.freeserve.com/dingleyspages/stationarysteam/winding/winding02.htm. 

Alan Murray-Rust adds of his September 2005 visit:

The engine shown remains operable, albeit using compressed air rather than steam. I found it virtually by accident – I was chasing mine headgear rather than anything else, but recognised the location when I got there as one that I recalled having a reference to steam engines. By good fortune the engineman was just going on duty as I arrived at the site, and was more than happy to show me round the engine and even run it for me.

http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/443117/display/3894211
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/443117/display/3887824
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/443117/display/3873704

The other engine referred to in Richard Hingley’s report, at the Ensdorf pit, is still working as described.

Holland (added 20th January 2007)

To quote from the website http://www.panorama360.es/woudagemaal/ :

"The steam age is over. But in Lemmer the ir.D.F.Woudagemaal as this monument is officially known, is the only steam-driven pumping engine in the world that still serves its original purpose. Built during World War One and opened in 1920, the impressive, monumental pumping-station holds its own for draining excess water. On these occasions the sleeping giant is revived for a few days to do its much-needed duty. It has a capacity of 2520 H.P. and a capacity of 4000m³ water per minute, this is approximately the volume of the machine hall!. Per day approximately 6 million m³ water can be pumped. Since 1998 the Woudagemaal has a place on UNESCO's World heritage list. Historical machines and buildings like this keep the memory of the former times alive. And the people who run the station and explain its workings to visitors, with much courtesy, make us feel a part of those times." More information (in Dutch) on the operational days is on the main website http://www.woudagemaal.nl/. 

Kosovo (added 2nd April 2007)

Not working steam, but Torsten Schneider turned up a preserved Ruston Proctor portable, which must have been lost from sight for a long time (2nd April 2007). Click here to see it.

Madeira  

John Raby visited a sugar mill here in January 2007 which is part of the local rum industry, read his report (2 more pictures, 27th January 2007), which includes some extra photographs culled from the web. Fabulous stuff!

Not working by any means, but these fascinating survivors were spotted by Mike Dale (added 3rd August 2007). A nearby boiler is marked as being from Clarke Chapman of Gateshead, UK and they may be from the same company. Chris Allen believes the steam winches were once used by the whaling industry which had a base on this island until 1981 (there is a whaling museum - Museu da Baleiaat - at Caniçal, I guess they will be somewhere near there). Martin Green (31st August 2007) has sent me a close up which confirms that the winches are also from Clarke Chapman. Accepted opinion is that the current disposition dates from their mounting as bears no relation to their original use.

Spain (added 13th April 2003)

There is a working sugar mill in Malaga, Spain (1).

Others:

Steam Fire Engines (added 28th January 2003)

John Carstairs Hallam email: carstairs@jchallam.fsnet.co.uk has an initial list of some 400 extant machines - he would like to get in touch with fellow enthusiasts.

Tea Factories (added 24th June 2005)

See this site http://www.greentea.net/tea_process.html from which the following quotation is taken:

"The machinery in use is very varied in character, and it has been evolved principally by practical planters of a mechanical turn. Many estate superintendents have begun their careers Machi as engineers, and it is not unusual for a large estate, or group of estates, to have one member of the European staff who is a qualified engineer. The motive power is generally a steam engine, but the greater economy and facility of oil engines have led to their fairly wide adoption. Where water power is available, turbines of a variety of types are in use, the machines to be driven are airfans, rollers, roll-breakers, sifters, cutters and packers, and there are besides numerous types of driers or desiccators. The names associated with the most successful and widely used machines are those of the Messrs Jackson (makers, Marshalls of Gainsborough) and Mr S. C. Davidson, of the Sirocco Works, Belfast. The production of the empty boxes for packing, called chests or half-chests, is in itself a large industry. The heavy old-fashioned country-made packages are rapidly being replaced by light-tarred, boxes made from several thicknesses of veneer pressed closely together, most of which come from Russia."

If you (like me) are new to the world of Industrial Archaeology then you may find these links useful:

The International Stationary Steam Engine Society - http://www.steamenginesociety.org/

James Hefner recommends this site which has a plethora of links to stationary steam power, of course much of it preserved - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fcrammond (added belatedly, 13th June 2003).

The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage: http://www.museu.mnactec.com/TICCIH/index.htm

The Association for Industrial Archaeology: http://www.twelveheads.demon.co.uk/aia.htm

I.A.Recordings Industrial Archaeology: http://www.iarecordings.org/otheria.html#Steam

The Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record  (HABS/HAER): http://www.cr.nps.gov/habshaer/ (part of the National Parks Service)

James Hefner has a webpage on what little steam equipment still exists in "sugar country" in the mid-south USA - http://www.pernet.net/~james1/AOTT/midsouth.htm. He has also added a page on reciprocating steam pumps ('steam lizards') http://www.pernet.net/~james1/plntpump/. James has also established a news group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steam_lizards, Steam_Lizards-subscribe@yahoogroups.com should get you joined. (added 24th August 2002).

Ray Gardiner advises me that "the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney has a lot of stationary steam engines which are still steamed everyday I think . They have some very interesting engines including a Boulton and Watt engine . The oldest existing steam engine in the world." Check out http://www.phm.gov.au.

Definitely preservation orientated but a fascinating research source is this site on paddle steamers (added 19th September 2005):

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/tramways/steamerindex.htm 

My good friend John Tillman did some research which threw up these 'preserved links':

Britain

Holland:

access through: http://home.planet.nl/~gisolfr/index.htm

Click here for the International Steam Page

Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk