When you put enough BTUs into water, it flashes to steam, expanding to 1700 times its original volume. That's the raw power of nature. Steam was the start of the Industrial Revolution, and is still the main generator of most of the electricity we use on Earth today. Nuclear power, coal power, natural gas power, concentrated solar power, geothermal power-it all is converted into steam to run generators. And the technology dates back to about 1700. Steam engines also make a marvelous hobby for some folks who enjoy watching and trying to control this awesome force, with machinery from a bygone era. It's dangerous, and needs constant attention to detail and procedure, but the rewards are mechanical, electrical and visceral. This book lays down the line on how to safely operate and maintain a steam engine, how to troubleshoot and react instantly if things go wrong, and also to draw you back to the past where you might have a been a whistle punk, an engineer, or just a youngster trying to ma