Friday, March 5, 2010

Highlands Steam Museum

Mr. Peter2 Veliz and Mr. Ambiant Kukulcan have teamed up to develop the Caledon Museum of Steam in the Highlands. The museum promises examples of "a wide variety of steam engineering, both fanciful and realistic, for your examination and consideration."

I met Mr. Veliz as I strolled the grounds.


Outside the museum itself, on the grounds, stand several works, including the oldest steam engine known (pictured below).


The museum itself is housed in a large structure reminiscent of a fire station, with its large doorways. A large steam-driven wheel can be seen peeking above the roof line - the visible section of an enormous engine.


Biographies of several early steam engine pioneers are on display...

...as are photographs of some steam-driven contraptions. The bulk of the museum is devoted to replicas of a variety of early engines. Each comes with a notecard explaining the engine.


Outside stands a statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, creator of the Great Western Railway and designer of several ships for the Great Western Steamship Company.


I left the museum with a greater appreciation for that modern wonder, steam.

2 comments:

HeadBurro Antfarm said...

At school (many moons ago - I'm 40 this year!) our tech drawing / engineering teacher was an odd man (in hindsight, I bet he was quite interesting) who we could easily distract from a lesson by asking an IKB question - the man hero-worshipped him!

From my current position on life's endless timeline, I can see why (at least in respect to his engineering prowess - he may have been a right old swine to his dear old mum for all I know).

Anyhow, what was the question again? I'm nearly 40 you know! When's nurse coming round again? Is it soup for dinner?

Rhianon Jameson said...

Ahhh, you young whippersnapper!

Congratulations and condolences both on the upcoming milestone.