I DROVE A 1900's STEAM LOCOMOTIVE!

Рет қаралды 251,691

Ай бұрын

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JAMIE'S INSTAGRAM: / jamie.popple
PATREON: / alecsteele
My name is Alec Steele. I am a blacksmith, amateur machinist and all-round maker of all-things metal. We make videos about making interesting things, learning about craft and appreciating the joy of creativity. Great to have you here following along!
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Пікірлер: 493

@itsrichards Ай бұрын

A fun follow up project could be making a steam powered train whistle that could mount on the steam hammer!

@jeffspaulding9834 Ай бұрын

I think he said he's planning to use compressed air for the steam hammer. I dunno if whistles for air need to be designed differently than steam whistles. I'm curious how the oiling will work for that since steam oil is very different than the oil you use for compressed air (as seen in this video), but I'm sure Alec will get it figured out.

@CalebCarterFilm Ай бұрын

Yes yes yes!

@Hybris51129 Ай бұрын

@@jeffspaulding9834 A train KZfaqr by the name of Hyce went super deep into the physics of a train whistle. In a nutshell because steam especially superheated steam is much less dense than regular air it produces a sound that can't be at least easily replicated by room temperature air. His video on whistles really is something to behold.

@speeDBump1949 Ай бұрын

And invite the young man in the video to come to your shop and learn/help, Black Smithing.

@FACTBOT_5000 Ай бұрын

A damascus whistle.

@aaronpreston47 Ай бұрын

I love these little field trips about British industry, it feels like Fred Dibnah going on about his steam tractors. Brilliant.

@danielfasching8702 Ай бұрын

Yes more please Alec!

@ruditaler6130 Ай бұрын

yeah, it's highly symphatic! Greetings from the continental Europe! 😉

@danielkemp4860 Ай бұрын

Alec Steel talking to Alec Steam 🤯

@dweezil6969 Ай бұрын

That's got to be worth 5 Internet points.🎉

@taharokz Ай бұрын

Ben looks exactly like what I imagine train driver Alec would look like

@varjen018 Ай бұрын

Like brothers to be honest.

@dweezil6969 Ай бұрын

Cousins at least.

@malloystiggles5087 Ай бұрын

he looks like a barbaloot the bears from the lorax

@kennethmays8059 Ай бұрын

I liked that guy (the tour guide). As an American he is the typical British guy I think of. Very Inteligent and knowledgeable about his interest but just a touch of cheeky humor delivered so matter a factly you can never really tell if he's serious or not.

@JokerInk-CustomBuilds Ай бұрын

"Go on, you know you want to!" -After tooting the whistle was epic! lol

@joshuagibson2520 Ай бұрын

Naaah. He is a redcoat. I'm sure he is a nice fella, but...

@KoeddkHD 25 күн бұрын

@@joshuagibson2520 What's wrong with you?

@joshuagibson2520 25 күн бұрын

@@KoeddkHD it was a joke. Settle down.

@tom9571 Ай бұрын

I can't wait for the series where you build your own steam train!

@johnheckles8239 Ай бұрын

Out of Damascus! 😂

@sjv6598 Ай бұрын

Have a look for blondihacks. She’s building one from scratch.

@DryW4t3r Ай бұрын

imagine how many episodes that would take

@markfergerson2145 Ай бұрын

Blondiehacks is doing that right now. She started with the boiler, then built the tender, and has just built the frame for the loco. It’s been a long series on her channel to get that far and will only get longer. Our man Alec knows he’s not a machinist but he definitely should give it a go.

@OperationDarkside Ай бұрын

@@johnheckles8239 and diamond inlays around the smoke stack.

@ment001 Ай бұрын

You can see why Ben has been volunteering for 11 years, not only does he get to be around something he's clearly passionate about, but he also gets to see peoples inner child burst out with pure happiness :) Good on you Ben and of course Alec and Jamie for the great Vid.

@MainlyHuman Ай бұрын

"How does an injector work?" "How long have you got?"

@jameshodgson1609 Ай бұрын

Just got to accept, they work by magic !

@KnowArt Ай бұрын

winning the sponsorship transition competition

@junatah5903 Ай бұрын

Was decent but the logo on the top left ga e away the punchline before he even finished it. XD

@cyntax_error Ай бұрын

Maybe we need a Squarespace Segway-off between Alec and Matt Jones (mountain biker); there are some crackers on both sides

@MediocreHexPeddler Ай бұрын

Rectangular-squarish object: Exists Alec: It's free real estate.

@MarcMercier1971 Ай бұрын

I dunno... Baumgartner Restorations is smooth as silk. He's talking and sliiiiiiides right into the ad.

@rgsrrofnc Ай бұрын

So glad you are learning about steam. Need to know so you can get that power hammer done. He definitely fires the locomotive differently than I ever fired a locomotive, from 1/8th full size to full size (about 3 times larger than that locomotive.) And we'd shovel 5 tons of coal on the larger K-class locomotives. Injectors work by converting a pressure head to a velocity head. The proper oil can makes all the difference. Also, keep the oil can on the backhead to thin the oil so it pours easier. Invest in some gloves!

@pileofstuff Ай бұрын

it would be excellent if Alec could use the steam hammer (and some of his other tools and abilities) to do some repair or remaufacturing jobs for the museum.

@houserootie Ай бұрын

Ben is a great communicator. He not only obviously very knowledgeable, but he's also pretty great at telling Alec (and us) about all this stuff. Fantastic video

@MikelangeloPhoto Ай бұрын

that MIGHT be the best segue for Squarespace I have EVER heard... I did NOT see it coming... dangit...

@1tzBattery Ай бұрын

you should watch Scott Brown Carpentry

@lotsofgreendrums Ай бұрын

Baumgartner Restoration has had some great ones as well

@asinineintentions7773 Ай бұрын

I love the "Wai-.. There's a thing on the track!" "You what?" "There's a thing on the track!" "What thing?"

@butzmn7190 Ай бұрын

What a chill guy the train man is. Passionate volunteer with years of experience. And a very calm presence.

@andybogart2503 Ай бұрын

That dude was so knowledgeable and skillful - how cool that he got the chance to shine in a video like this. Well done!

@jacobknapp2710 Ай бұрын

nothing like seeing twin brother having a great time making a youtube vid.

@MakeItWithCalvin Ай бұрын

Having operated an oil-fired steam locomotive, the amount of power in your hands is incredible. Just a tiny bit of steam can mean the difference between a smooth start, and spinning the wheels. As for the ability to coast, that's when you realize just how efficient trains are when you can coast for way longer than you think you should be able to. Operating one is an incredible experience if anyone gets the chance, do it!

@BlazeMiskulin Ай бұрын

Growing up, my parents used to take me to the Badger Steam Engine Show in Baraboo, WI, every year. It wasn't trains, it was threshers--which were, to be honest, just smaller steam engines repurposed for agricultural use. I was alwas so amazed. When I was about 10 or 12, Santa brought me a steam engine of my own. Based on what I've seen of modern versions, I'm guessing it's a Wilesco. I still fire it up once or twice a year--just sitting on top of my desk doing nothing except running (and spitting water everywhere--the gaskets on the ram aren't very good). SO MUCH FUN!

@robertharris1748 Ай бұрын

I got a Mamod (British steam toys) when I was the same age in the early 80s! It was an old one from maybe the 50s or 60s my mother picked up at auction. Still have it. And I now live in Denver!

@Hathos96 Ай бұрын

I’ve never been into trains, but watching Alec drive the train, I’m thinking to myself “I want to drive a train”

@terrier_productions 5 күн бұрын

Most heritage railways do driver experience courses however they are a lot money.. I’ve got one booked for August and that was £420.. I’ve seen some courses being sold for up to £3k

@DasGanon Ай бұрын

I love big steam trains. Union Pacific has an open house at the roundhouse and Steam Workshop in Cheyenne every year, and last year they had Big Boy 4014 and all of the guys who reworked it to get it running (and converted to oil instead of Coal). Absolutely love it. Ceiling of the Steam Shop says "Buy War Bonds" too 11 US Tons of coal *an hour* when really cranking it. Absolutely insane.

@callsignapollo_ Ай бұрын

What's even crazier is the 4000 clasas isn't even the biggest in any particular statistic. Sure, it may be the most produced of the large locos, but there were some classes with only 2 or 3 engines that were larger, or had bigger boilers, more tractive effort, etc. Unfortunately, not many of those made it to preservation like the big boys did. And to imagine something even bigger than the big boy just feels insane.

@slithery9291 Ай бұрын

Absolutely love that museum. I used to live in Reepham for 10+ years and walk through the grounds every day on my way to work (the far platform is a public right of way).

@tommymanuel8687 Ай бұрын

It's fun to watch smart and passionate people talk about their craft.

@Night_Rose_94 Ай бұрын

Wow! What a video! Very interesting and fun to watch. The guide is amazing and Alec's want to learn is infectious.

@br4d101 Ай бұрын

It’s great you’re using local companies in Norfolk and showing what they do! Great to keep the community spirit alive that a lot of people would have forgot that we actually have here in this little county!

@JohnPribula Ай бұрын

Alec needs to do more colabs with people keeping these skills alive so much knowledge needs to be passed on.

@b2bogster Ай бұрын

This is a great video! I love how your doing all sort of thing related to what you do. I've been watching your videos since the beginning. What a great journey you are on. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the great work!

@user-no9fj2cn5v Ай бұрын

Just found your channel recently and I love everything about it. Everyone's personality is so great and charming. Found your channel while looking into blacksmithing because I just started getting into it. Thanks for everything. 😊

@drumitri Ай бұрын

That was awesome!!! My dad used to take me to see and ride miniature steam trains when I was little. It's incredible how strong they are!! Thanks for sharing that!! Took me back a good 4 decades...❤

@tankerboysabot Ай бұрын

Being a modern freight train conductor and one who appreciates old steam locos as well as Alec Steele/forging and the things he gets into I am loving this particular bit of content.

@joshuambean Ай бұрын

Love this. We have a similar program here in Ontario Canada. There's an amazing arts festival called Steel Rails that used to take place on the trains. There'd be music, art installations, dance parties, beer, and more on all the train cars and you'd go on a little trip through the country side and back during the festival. It was the greatest thing ever.

@patrickbourne3819 Ай бұрын

Absolutely love this video! Love when ever you do anything historical, always get a good idea of what the technology was like to make and use. Keep it up I am so looking forward to the next steam hammer video!

@randallrun Ай бұрын

It seems like the two of you could easily end up being best friends. Wonderful video, and once again it’s endearing how excited, happy and passionate, you are about things like this. Thank you!

@jurriaandejongh8677 Ай бұрын

I love steam power, it has something truly primal and magical to it. I can't imagine how awestruck you would have been seeing one of those big monsters arrive at the station. Thank you for sharing this Alec!

@joshb2492 Ай бұрын

Thankyou for bringing this to us !!! Never thought I needed to know how a steam train works, but I loved every minute of it !

@jamesempson1365 Ай бұрын

My favorite thing about you Alex, even above the terrible puns and jokes and the fabulous crafting and restorations is your knowledge that trying something out you may never do again gives you so much value through experience. I may not have as many different things under my belt but I have spent a lot of time with a lot of different machinary and tooling. At least to me experience is everything of value. Love this bloody Chanel

@jamesempson1365 Ай бұрын

Alec dumb auto correct

@LtHawk77 Ай бұрын

I'm glad you got to have fun in a profession that I do as a passion job. Its a labor of love to keep these old steamers going, and the knowledge base is immense throughout the world on them still. I am looking forward to seeing how you use this knowledge gained for the steam power hammer restoration.

@bethconner5419 Ай бұрын

YEEESSS!!! This is awesome!! Love trips like this to explore stuff!

@Jarastlad Ай бұрын

used to be a train driver, must have been quite the experience for someone who's never driven a train ! Glad you enjoyed it Alec, can't wait to see the power hammer project !

@MrWadeant Ай бұрын

Its great to see you work with these small dedicated groups of people around Britannia keeping the old ways alive!!!!

@johnjohn-ed9qt Ай бұрын

Nice to see this. Looks like a lot of fun.This is about the size of one of the locomotives I qualified on. Largest was about 2 ton/hour of high quality bituminous, 3-1/2 tons of the lower quality, with a lot of hooking clinker. Anything much larger would use a stoker for coal. Glad you had fun

@Kris_at_WhiteOaksFarm Ай бұрын

Wow, just WoW! fascinating, informative, educational and magical. What a great adventure you took us on. Oiling a steam engine, and bringing it to pressure and running down the track and back! Wow! Beautiful. Thank you!

@Santos-oc2no Ай бұрын

Amazing video! Always with something interesting and beautiful!!! For sure you should make a steam whistle for your powerhammer!!!!

@samjdalton Ай бұрын

What a fantastic video! Such an engaging look at the world of steam!

@guymontag2948 Ай бұрын

You definitely found the right guy. That was incredibly informative and a beautiful engine.

@afallencheetah6610 Ай бұрын

Did anyone else see the steam crane and immediately remember reading Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel as a kid?

@saginawdan Ай бұрын

Thanks for the Mike Mulligan reminder...brings me back 60 plus years to my childhood.👍

@PontifexPrimus Ай бұрын

I love that, it is so incredibly fascinating to see how refined the technology needs to be for anything to work. I can understand the basic principles ("steam make piston go out, steam make piston go back"), but I never in a billion years would be able to figure out the linkages required to control the valves, or even translate the back-and-forth movement to a smooth round turning motion.

@ethanpiscitello188 Ай бұрын

Funny how the smallest tank engine can be such a complicated machine. Great stuff, love steam locomotives.

@mkase4697 Ай бұрын

Top notch vid as always. BTW, that valve gear is called a Stephenson Link or Stephenson Valve Gear in case you're interested.

@lemonheadoo7 Ай бұрын

My home town is home to a 221 ton 2-8-4 steam locomotive that makes frequent trips. It is an impressive sight to see so much weight start moving so quickly using hot water and a little engineering magic, and it's the only train in town I get excited to wait at a crossing signal for.

@ariumbra7808 Ай бұрын

What a wonderful video full of passion and learning. Keep up the great work both of you!

@CameraNomadic Ай бұрын

Squarespace transition was superb! Well done Old Bean.

@lautarobarrera9649 Ай бұрын

tremendous video, I really liked everything you explained and showed! thanks!!!

@Draftsman17 Ай бұрын

now we need a collaboration with LMM working on his Ruston rebuilding project.

@matthewgotts1 Ай бұрын

There was a brief view of the LMM shed at one point in the video!

@BuddhaAfterDark Ай бұрын

watching this after watching the first 7 episodes of the power hammer rebuild, after being away for a while is pure joy. thank you Alec :D

@imccrae Ай бұрын

Absolutely loved this episode ! Must have been a thrill

@Ukylie Ай бұрын

I have to acknowledge that seamless transition into the Squarespace ad. Bravo good Sir.

@MrGosvi Ай бұрын

I really loved this video, is just as awesome as interesting, keep up the good work :)

@brucematthews6417 Ай бұрын

Absolutely BRILLIANT! And good on you for showcasing this place to help spread the word for them.

@chriscarpenter4415 Ай бұрын

That was so cool. Thank you for sharing this

@fancyultrafresh3264 Ай бұрын

Absolute cracking vid Alec, I love steam engines

@markbrennan8392 Ай бұрын

What a fantastic day that must have been with the both of you as passionate as you are about the steam workings. I think it's such a beautiful and fascinating field and even the steampunk era and thought behind things to provide power where needed. Thanks for sharing Alec, that was a cool visit 😃

@marcinkowalczyk647 Ай бұрын

LOVE THIS ! STEAM TRAINS ARE AWESOME ! [you should totally make a small steam train Alec! :D]

@BraxxJuventa Ай бұрын

Very very cool! Thanks for showing us Alec & Jamie. 😁👍🏼😁👍🏼

@DavidMCheney Ай бұрын

Fascinating! Thanks Alec et al

@tinyfluffs Ай бұрын

I got to go to Whitwell & Reepham a few years ago. Absolutely loved it there. They got some wonderful kettles :D

@michaelanderson2166 Ай бұрын

I’m a boiler inspector and sometimes have to certify repairs done to locomotives that vineyards use for “fancy” tours. They are a blast each time.

@JerseyLeft Ай бұрын

Appreciate this type of content Alec! Hope making more of these blacksmithing adjacent job videos proves fruitful.

@juniorglasgow9542 Ай бұрын

A great friend of mine runs a steam locomotive at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. So cool!!!

@ZevVeli Ай бұрын

I remember years ago when I was working in the employee break area of a theme park that had steam trains about an hour outside of Norfolk (Virginia) where one of the operators told me that he had always wanted to be a train engineer, but there was no future in it, so he did something else and started working as an operator at the park after his retirement. Good to know that train enthusiasts on the other side of the pond are the same.

@MrBenstero Ай бұрын

That was awesome Alec, great opportunity you got there.

@erikcourtney1834 Ай бұрын

Alec going to make his steam hammer run on steam.. please do. Even if it is only for a few videos and then go to compressed air. It’s so worth it. Just be safe. As a boilermaker… they’re no joke. Pressurized cylinders = a bomb.

@Synchro-Mesh Ай бұрын

One of the railways I volunteer at! A lovely place too!

@jasonagle7912 Ай бұрын

Proper representation of steam power, well done. You should visit Huckleberry railroad in Michigan, US. We have a working steam engine from the 1800s.

@chadscatharsis3287 Ай бұрын

In New England specifically Essex Connecticut they still run an old steam train down along the CT river for a few towns and then you get on an old steam paddle wheel and ride back down the river. Good times from my childhood!!

@sarinredfield Ай бұрын

Alec that was an awesome fieldtrip you took us on!

@timmoss8510 Ай бұрын

Ivan is very passionate and knowledgeable, great to see younger people keeping this stuff alive.

@SamU_115 Ай бұрын

Another great video on British industry! Ben was a great guide. Hopefully you learnt a thing or two that will help with the hammer repair!

@AutoBrawn Ай бұрын

I've always wanted to ride on a steam train. Now I wanna drive one too! Awesome stuff!

@patchinthebox Ай бұрын

I love watching people nerd out about stuff they're really passionate about.

@kleseus Ай бұрын

I really enjoy these UK engines, the saddle tank engines are marvelous and the diesel shunters are great aswell.

@Rymunin Ай бұрын

used to volunteer many years ago (early 90's) at my then local steam railway place, it got closed down by rising rent that couldnt be met :( the landowner wanted to drive the place out so he could build houses on the site.. didnt realise they were all listed buildings, so to this day, still no houses there.

@tinovanderzwan-km7ou Ай бұрын

near to where I lived in my childhood, there were 2 tracks built for V2 rocket transportation during WW2 long abandoned next to the modern rails the manual rail switches still worked and we often played with them as children or we would dig for big coal pieces for fossils some of the coal pieces were as big as me at age 10 they were supposed to be broken up by slave labor but never did due to the end of the war some had whole trunks of fossilized fern tree stems from the carboniferous era. I donated that to what now is the Naturalis Museum in Leiden in the Netherlands.

@MarcMercier1971 Ай бұрын

19:18 Jay Leno has a 1925 Doble E-20 car. Thing is a monster. I think it was the high point of steam cars at the time. I bet if we made a steam-powered car today with current tech... would be a sight to behold. There's a video of a guy firing/lubing/running a big ol' locomotive... no talking IIRC. Was interesting, but learned little. I followed the Big Boy 4014 restoration from the start and didn't glean much of the operational parts. I really liked this video, was explained pretty clear.

@jorgemendez195 Ай бұрын

You have made this channel a lifestyle channel and I love it. You bring making and learning together so well. Can’t wait when you start making model airplanes , then you get to jump out of one for science 😅.

@MrWadeant Ай бұрын

In Wellington New Zealand we have a working steam crane on a barge in the harbor. If your ever down the bottom of the world and want to go further south than Australia you should go and have a wee looksie :)

@andromidius Ай бұрын

Steam Engines are so cool. The amount of work put into building and running those things is hard to imagine. One thing I can imagine though is how difficult it to would be for someone like me to crew one. Those things were designed for an age when the average person was considerably smaller. I'd struggle to even get into the cabin, let alone be able to move around in it! So the crews of these machines would have to be relatively small but also incredibly strong and hardy.

@BentleyWilkinson Ай бұрын

That was absolutely marvelous!

@bobholt5081 Ай бұрын

Gotta say I seriously enjoyed this

@saginawdan Ай бұрын

That was very enjoyable. The train guy was great! Thank you! 🚂

@IdolOracle 8 күн бұрын

I hope you visited Marriott's Way whilst you were there - an old railway, with mile markers designed by another blacksmith you have mentioned on the channel a long time ago

@kyokoyumi Ай бұрын

I love trains so this is just a treat for me :)

@bramhall2002 Ай бұрын

Loved this, I'd pay for this tour would be an, amazing day

@MrLargonaut Ай бұрын

That commercial transition was so smooth that I watchd the commercial twice for you.

@iiro_kankkunen Ай бұрын

I enjoyed this video a lot, nice 💡

@dafallngames9068 Ай бұрын

my grandad use to run th minni railway at rhyl in whales before he passed have good memories of going down on holiday and helping him

@fexdammit Ай бұрын

Ben was truly the star here..... clever, well spoken and funny.... all in a flat cap. Many thanks from New Zealand..... well this bit anyway!

@bas7ee Ай бұрын

can't wait for the next video series of Alec restoring a steam train haha

@lenzwe7775 Ай бұрын

So fun to see them commiserate about stuck pistons and clickers 😊

@CNC-Time-Lapse Ай бұрын

This was COOL! When that sucker starts moving, it's actually a little scary. Scary powerful!

@killingtimeitself Ай бұрын

steam tech truly is one of the more incredible things we have ever done. The sheer amount of engineering and work put into them, and the amount of power they put out is something to behold.

@CowboyCree63 Ай бұрын

Most people don't realize just how much steam is STILL used every single day in our lives, most power plants are steam powered turbine generators.

@killingtimeitself Ай бұрын

@@CowboyCree63 I mean yeah, obviously. But a steam based power plant just isn't the same as one of these old cast iron steam engines that was designed with the explicit purpose of being a workhorse. Sure steam turbines are neat, but they hold NOTHING to the complexities and intricacies of these older steam locos, and even larger stationary engines. Ironically, they used large steam engines designed for rolling steel (you heard that correctly) to manufacture some of the first nuclear power plants in the world.