Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum facts for kids
Entrance to the museum
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| Location | 2040 N Santa Fe Avenue, Vista, California |
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The Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum (AGSEM) is a special kind of museum. It's a living history museum, which means it shows how things were done in the past. It was started in 1969.
The museum is located on 55 acres (about 220,000 square meters) of land. You can find it in Vista, California. It's a non-profit group, run by a few staff and many helpful volunteers.
The museum is open almost every day of the year. They also have two big shows each year. These happen on the 3rd and 4th weekends of June and October. Many other events take place there too.
Contents
Explore Old Machines: Technology Museum
This part of the museum is full of amazing old machines. You can see how people used to power things long ago.
Giant Gas Engines
Gas Engine Row has many large engines from the early 1900s. These engines stayed in one place to do their work. You can see a 15-horsepower (hp) Fairbanks-Morse engine. It runs a mine hoist, which is a lift for mines. There's also a pumphouse powered by another 15-hp Fairbanks-Morse engine.
A huge 150-hp Fairbanks-Morse engine from 1922 is also there. It's connected to a large alternator, which makes electricity. You can also find a giant 1914 Chicago-Pneumatic air compressor. It uses a "hot-bulb" design. Other big engines include 80-hp, 120-hp, and 200-hp Western engines. Most of these engines can be seen running during the shows!
Powerful Steam Engines
Steam Engine Row shows many different sizes of stationary steam engines. These engines use steam to create power. One huge engine is a 300-hp Allis Chalmers Corliss engine. It has a giant 12-foot (3.7-meter) wide flywheel. There's also a small J. Lefel & Sons portable engine.
All these steam engines get their power from two large boilers. These boilers are named Pat and Rich. They are named after two volunteers who take care of them.
Steam Tractors in Action
The museum has six working steam traction engines. These are like old tractors powered by steam. An 1895 Russell & Co. 15-30 steam tractor is one example. There's also a 1902 Advance-Rumely 16-30 steam tractor. A 1912 J.I. Case 60-hp steam tractor is also on display. You can also see a 1920 Minneapolis 20-hp steam tractor. A 1916 15-30 Russell & Co. is another one.
Two more steam tractors are being fixed up. These are a 1913 Buffalo-Pitts steamroller and a 1909 20-hp Case tractor. Many of these steam tractors can be seen driving around the museum grounds during show days.
Classic Tractors
The museum also has many old tractors. You can see two D8 Caterpillars and a D9. There are also some large 1930s Caterpillars. You can find Best crawlers and other tracked tractors too.
Common tractors like Farmall, John Deere, Oliver, and Allis-Chalmers are at the museum. But there are also some very rare ones. These include a 1924 Buffalo-Springfield road roller. There's also a huge 1918 30-60 Aultman-Taylor gas tractor. A 1911 Fairbanks-Morse 15-25 kerosene tractor is another rare find. You can also see a 1915 International Harvester Mogul 8-16. Several Rumely Oil-Pulls are also part of the collection.
Blacksmithing Workshop
There's a working blacksmith shop at the museum. It has a special "line shaft" system. This system uses belts and pulleys to power tools. It's run by a 15-horsepower 1917 Mogul gasoline engine.
During show days, several forges are lit. Blacksmiths work there, shaping pieces of iron into many different items. It's a great way to see an old craft in action.
Model Trains: Short Track Model Railroad Club
The Short Track Model Railroad Club is also on the museum grounds. They have an NTrak model railroad. Trains travel through more than 40 different scenes. These include a drive-in movie theater, a fairgrounds, farms, and towns. There's even a coal mine!
The Short Track, N-Scale, Model Railroad club teaches about railroad history. They focus on railroads in the United States. Many members are part of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA). Some have even earned the title of "Master Modeler." Their Donner Pass exhibit shows the Southern Pacific railway crossing the Sierra Mountains.
There is also a small train layout that kids can operate. It's called The Young & Victorious RR.
Textile Arts: Weaving Museum
The Museum Weavers are in a 4,000-square-foot (370-square-meter) barn. This barn has over 50 working looms for weaving. Members of this club meet every week. They learn and practice weaving, making rugs, and even making rope.
Old-Fashioned Mill: Gristmill Museum
The working gristmill grinds wheat and corn. It turns them into flour. This flour is available for sale during the two big shows each year. In the summer, the museum grows sorghum cane. This cane is then made into molasses for the fall show.
Sawmill Operations
The Sawmill is powered by a D-3000 Cat diesel engine. This Sawmill was put back together and improved. It was a gift from the Pederson Brothers. They used to run it in the Big Bear area many years ago. This is likely the only Sawmill you can see working in San Diego County.
See Also
- Category: Museums in San Diego County
Images for kids
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Tractors at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum
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Blacksmith shop
