Checked out the old steam plant at the state fairgrounds

I was walking through the old machinery exhibit at the fairgrounds in Des Moines last weekend. They have a 1920s Babcock & Wilcox boiler on display, just sitting there with all the plates exposed. I stood there for a good twenty minutes just looking at the rivet pattern on the steam drum. It hit me how much hand work went into that, every single hole punched and driven. Makes you appreciate the tools we have now. Anyone know if they still run that thing for demonstrations?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucasjackson4d ago

Man, that's some real craftsmanship right there.

the_eric4d ago

Notice how we all get a little happier when we spot good work, like a well-made coffee table or a neat garden. It feels like a small win against all the cheap, quick stuff around us. That reaction says a lot about what we actually value.

lucasjackson4d ago

Every single hole punched and driven" sounds like a huge pain. I bet the guy doing it back then would have killed for a modern machine. @the_eric, sometimes the cheap quick stuff is just progress.