The Western Museum of Mining & Industry

Yesterday was moving day.  Packed up bright and early, said our goodbyes and hit the road.  We only had about 50 miles to travel, back up to the Air Force Academy FamCamp, in Colorado Springs, so we really didn't rush.  I guess I was moving too slowly, though, 'cuz, at one point, I was asked if I even remembered that this was moving day?  Yeah, I did, but I was trying to keep movement to a minimum, as the faceplant from the day before had still had me kind of dizzy.  So we moved, uneventfully, and got all set up in our new site.  No problems, no issues.  Just the way we like it!  We got in right around lunchtime, and set up so quickly, we had time to travel back up to Monument, to the campground-that-gave-away-our-site (Colorado Heights, just in case you were wondering!) to retrieve the mail that was sent there on our behalf.  I had confirmed they had in fact received it, and they SAID they would hold it for me, but, ya know, they also said they would reserve me a 50 amp site that would be plenty long enough for us.  And we all know how THAT turned out. 

Today we visited what is billed as The Museum That Works, the Western Museum of Mining & Industry.  

The "Stamp" name comes from the sound of the tampers crushing (stamping) the ore.  

This is the Cornish Walking Beam Engine.

The Skinner Automatic Steam Engine was housed indoors, and still runs perfectly.  It's one of the ones that was turned on in demonstration. 

These two machines also run perfectly, and they are only connected by a flywheel.  The steam machine on the right is the one that powers Edison-invented electricity-producing device on the left, that powers whatever you plug into it.  There is a small light bulb on the top left that demonstrated the power produced.

Can you see the balls at the top of the machine on the right?  They rotated (rather quickly) and centrifugal force propelled them outward and away from each other.  This device served as a regulator of speed, so it was desirable to have them furthest out, closest to the walls where the machine was housed.  Thus, the expression, "Balls to the wall."  

Google says it's a relatively new term, coined in the 60's, and relating to aviation.  Apparently, pilots would push their throttle levers, which had round ball tops, to the firewall, in an effort to go "all out."  This could surely become a hotly contested debate, but, ya know, it's really not that big a deal to me, so you can choose whichever explain suits you best.  😄

The next machine to be demonstrated was the Acme Safety Machine.

You can see and hear it in action in the video below.  If you're reading this in email, click right here.

It was obvious, though, that their pride and joy is this 35 Ton Corliss Steam Engine.

The building which houses this engine, and all the others, and all the showcases, and even the gift shop, was built around this piece of equipment. They fired that baby up for us too; you can watch it in action below, or, click right here for the You Tube version.

We moved to the outdoor exhibits after that, and there were no more live demos.  These pieces have all led very productive lives, and but technology waits for no man.  Nor machinery. So there they all sit.  Appreciated, yet rusting away. 

We had spent more time in the museum that we had expected (that's a good thing, that means it was more interesting that we had originally thought it would be) so there really wasn't enough time to visit anything else today.  Most museums and tourist locations close by 3 or 4 pm on Saturdays, so after consulting Driver and Google maps, we figured we'd just head on over to Sam's Club to stock up on coffee pods, and whatever else tickled our fancy.

You know you just can't buy only one thing at Sam's Club.  They don't call it the Hundred Dollar Club for nuthin!  They had lots of samples out though, so we nibbled our way around the store.  We had to renew our membership though, so, when we checked out, right off the bat, we hit our Hundred Dollars!  Then added our coffee, some trail mix, and a box of granola bars.  Then the cashier added a case of water from the cart belonging to the customer behind us.  Yeah.  Really.  Luckily, she caught her error and told us about it, but the resolution was for us to go stand in a loooong line, over by Member Services.  Oooooh, that just didn't set right with me.  Eventually, we got to the head of the line, and got our money refunded.  If it had been Ozark or some other water, we probably would have just gone and gotten ourselves a case and been fine.  But it was Member's Mark and that is not a brand we care much for, so we preferred to get the refund.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and we're really not sure what the day will bring.  Only thing we know for sure is that it will be chilly when we wake up!  This morning it was all of 55 degrees!  Which isn't really cold, but if you've been at 88 at night and over 100 during the day every day for the last week, 55 feels pretty darned chilly.  I think we are due to get a couple of nights in the high 40's here pretty soon.  Good thing my fuzzy pants are easily accessible!

I think Bob & Cindy (from The Villages) are due to return from their Alaskan cruise at the end of the week, so maybe, if my back holds up, they can take us to a square dance before we leave the state.

Till next time!