International Stationary Steam Engines

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.

The following countries have significant real, working stationary steam engines in some quantity. Compared to the more visible and well known steam locomotives, the numbers of machines are much larger overall:

India (Rice Mills, Sugar Mills, Steel Foundries), Indonesia (Sugar Mills), Myanmar (Rice Mills), Thailand (Rice Mills)

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

The Association for Industrial Archaeology: http://www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/ 

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

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...)

James Hefner's Surviving World Steam project has now gone off line, but his Steam Lizard Yahoo news group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steam_lizards is still active. James writes:

"I am keeping the databases current, and have added over 150 new entries; though that is still not enough for a decent update. The "Steam Lizard" (reciprocating steam pump) Photo Gallery is still available under a new name; it is: http://www.steampump.org/ 

The steam situation worldwide has become grim in the past decade, roughly 1500 of the 38000 steam machines documented in the project have been scrapped since the project was started in the 1990s. (All of the steamships depicted on the case for the Surviving World Steamship CD have been scrapped!) Many more steamships have been sunk as targets or artificial reefs. But, as your website shows, there is still much to be discovered and enjoyed worldwide; as many as 10,000 of the steam machines documented in my project may still be active.

Thank you to everyone who has helped with photographs and information over the past 15 years."

James recommends this site which has a plethora of links to stationary steam power, of course much of it preserved - http://www.stationarysteamengines.co.uk/ (added belatedly, 13th June 2003).