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I live just a few miles from the Henry Ford Museum, and its outdoor section, Greenfield Village. It sounds like exactly the same sort of place. As a kid, I spen

I live just a few miles from the Henry Ford Museum, and its outdoor section, Greenfield Village. It sounds like exactly the same sort of place. As a kid, I spent a lot of time around the tractors and trains, and the large stationary steam engines. (There's one fixed in place so you can climb into the cylinder through the valve opening, if you're so inclined.) As an adult, I appreciate so much more of the collection, even the furniture and household appliances that seemed utterly boring to my younger self. They tell a story of everyday life for the people who used them, and the design and manufacturing capability of the industry that produced them. Out in the Village, there's a weaving shop with several treadle-operated looms, and one spectacular Jacquard-style machine that's so tall part of it is upstairs. They make new cards for it periodically, and run off 1800s-style textiles with "Made in 2020" and such woven into them. ;) I need to get to Paris next!

specialist 7y ago
Thanks for sharing. Another museum for my bucket list. "...and the large stationary steam engines." The first time I recall seeing an actual functioning steam engine was at last year's Deming Logging Show. It was an early model of steam donkey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey http://demingloggingshow.com http://demingloggingshow.com Like a lot of kids, my son was obsessed with trains, steam shovels, dozers, etc. There's probably all sorts of reasons to not exhibit actual machinery. But it'd be cool. Maybe scale models or replicas. I know that if I could watch a working loom, the docents would have to drag me out at closing time.
- myself248 7y ago
  Why on earth would you not exhibit actual machinery? It's plenty strong -- just keep it painted and greased so it doesn't rust -- and it's so much cooler. They rebuild the boilers in the trains every few years, using period tools and techniques so the "new" one is just like the old. When they run the engines inside the museum, it's on compressed air rather than actual steam, for indoor humidity reasons. But outdoors, if it's running, it's because there's coal burning and water boiling not far away. Everything in the Henry Ford is real, except the Wright Flyer replica and I think they've replaced a few floorboards in some of the buildings. But otherwise, you're walking on the same floors that Edison and Steinmetz walked on, while the generators they built spin at the other side of the room and light the bulbs overhead. The food in the café is from period recipes, and you can ride around the grounds in a Model T if you want to pay a little extra. > the docents would have to drag me out That's more-or-less what happened with me; they shut down the weaving shop an hour before the grounds close, and I easily had enough questions for three or four hours more. That's okay, I'll go back in spring! You can spend at least a whole day in the museum and another in the village, so plan accordingly. Get here.

specialist 7y ago

Thanks for sharing. Another museum for my bucket list. "...and the large stationary steam engines." The first time I recall seeing an actual functioning steam engine was at last year's Deming Logging Show. It was an early model of steam donkey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey http://demingloggingshow.com http://demingloggingshow.com Like a lot of kids, my son was obsessed with trains, steam shovels, dozers, etc. There's probably all sorts of reasons to not exhibit actual machinery. But it'd be cool. Maybe scale models or replicas. I know that if I could watch a working loom, the docents would have to drag me out at closing time.

myself248 7y ago
Why on earth would you not exhibit actual machinery? It's plenty strong -- just keep it painted and greased so it doesn't rust -- and it's so much cooler. They rebuild the boilers in the trains every few years, using period tools and techniques so the "new" one is just like the old. When they run the engines inside the museum, it's on compressed air rather than actual steam, for indoor humidity reasons. But outdoors, if it's running, it's because there's coal burning and water boiling not far away. Everything in the Henry Ford is real, except the Wright Flyer replica and I think they've replaced a few floorboards in some of the buildings. But otherwise, you're walking on the same floors that Edison and Steinmetz walked on, while the generators they built spin at the other side of the room and light the bulbs overhead. The food in the café is from period recipes, and you can ride around the grounds in a Model T if you want to pay a little extra. > the docents would have to drag me out That's more-or-less what happened with me; they shut down the weaving shop an hour before the grounds close, and I easily had enough questions for three or four hours more. That's okay, I'll go back in spring! You can spend at least a whole day in the museum and another in the village, so plan accordingly. Get here.