KSW will perform at the 2010 Edwardian Ball!  We have lots of new, wonderful items to show off and favorites from last year. We run a boiler outside and pipe in actual steam to run all of our toys.  The slideshow below has some shots from last year to whet your appetite.

Work has begun on one of our longer term projects – and R&R of the boiler jacket for Hortense

Here the KSW crew attempts to remove the crankshaft from the ever mysterious double simple steam engine. All bolts are removed and we’re attempting to use the fork lift to gently lift the crank to break it free. With copious amounts of Aero Kroil (avoid eye contact), heat from a torch, banging with mallets and swearing it finally lifted clear.

by emilie raguso

The entire KSW crew is sincerely thankful to the 800+ people (not counting a couple hundred children!) who attended our Roll Out and helped us celebrate our new non-profit status.  Oakland Local published a very nice article and slideshow (at the bottom).  NBC Bay Area also put up a  lovely slide show highlighting the KSW crew and attendees having a wonderful day.   We’re very humbled by the donations that many  made well above our minimum asking entrance price and we’re happy to say those donations will allow us to put on more fantastic events soon!

It’d been two years of hard work. We learned a lot and we’ve completed a handsome restoration that we are proud of. Paul Bonderson’s “Pappy,” a 1917 J. I. Case Traction Engine was steamed-up and running in Chico, CA. We spent a good deal of time threshing, running the Baker Fan and lumbering around in tractor parades. Pappy came on like the majestic woolly mammoth, mere gasoline powered so called vintage John Deere lawnmowers cowered before it! Hyperbole aside, we were welcomed by so many at this event, we met a ton of new people and had a great time.