"Walking" Adjacent "Beams" - JAN 2023

My Mom and I went to this because we had wanted to hit a local museum, but apparently the weekend we chose and the time, all the local ones were closed. So off to The Hammer we went to check this place out. And its VERY cool. The “walking beam” steam engines DONT run on steam anymore. There isnt a functional boiler that it can run on on site from all I gathered. This place was last run on steam in the 80s or 90s we were told. They ran a steam line from an adjacent plant and everything operated as it should. But they said “NEVER AGAIN”. I can only assume it was a massive pain to actually run that and make it sealed and work. Now, I have no doubt that IF steam were to be run again that this pumphouse would operate. But they have an electric motor with a trolley wheel attached essentially to turn the main flywheel of the steam engines. Each floor in that building has some interesting views of all that goes on during one revolution of that “walking beam” engine. The uppermost floor is not accessible if you happen to be in a large group that is touring this place. Presumably weight limits as the floors are clearly original, but as it turns out its the railings once I read the description here. You walk to the far side door on the second floor of the pumphouse and one of the floorboards feels just about totally loose. I like it.