Riding a Baker steam engine

Riding a Baker 23-90 Uniflow steam traction engine at the Tuscarawas Valley steam show, Dover OH.

23-90 indicates 23 hp on the drawbar, and 90 hp on the belt. This is a conservative rating, and this engine has dynoed substantially more.

The Uniflow (or Unaflow) design has exhaust ports in the middle of the cylinder, so that steam is exhausted at the end of the power stroke, rather than having to be forced back out through the admission valves, which robs power due to back pressure. A small amount of steam is retained in the cylinder to cushion the end of the piston stroke.

In operation, the Baker Uniflow is a very "technical" sounding engine, with a loud bark due to exhausting the steam thru side ports in the cylinder, and frequently equipped with snifter valves to relieve cylinder pressure when the engine is coasting. Additionally, Baker had invented one of the best steam engine valve gears, which they licensed to locomotive builders. The Baker valve gear was used on the most modern steam locos, by railroads who were willing to pay the royalty to get the best valve gear available.

Quite a few Bakers are still around in north-central Ohio, since many Amish still use them for sawing and filling silos.

This engine is great to watch working, since the governor is very responsive.

The Baker is designed as a high speed engine, and in this video is running close to stall speed, challenging with a single cylinder engine.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Baker
• steam
• traction
• engine
• thresher
• antique
• uniflow
• unaflow
• Tuscarawas
• Valley
• Dover

[quatfro]

Interesting engine, interesting info in the sidebar too - thumbs up!