M aker What Steam-Up would be complete without steam-powered personal transporters?

Boiler Room
A visit to the annual Yankee Steam-Up.
By Brian Jepson

D ozens of steam engines meet in Rhode Station PJ. Because the spark gap transmitter’s Island every year, connect to a massive bandwidth is so wide, it can’t be connected to an boiler, and crank away for all to see. antenna without creating interference that would Everything from the smallest tabletop engines draw in the FCC’s vans and black helicopters. The to large industrial models share the steam and museum has a collection of Morse code keys, show off what they can do with it. This is the radios, television equipment, and transmitters — annual Yankee Steam-Up, held on the grounds all vintage and antique equipment from through-of the New England Wireless and Steam Museum out the history of wireless communications.

( users.ids.net/~newsm), an organization dedi- Whether handmade or rescued and restored cated to preserving the beginnings of wireless from an earlier time, all of the engines and wire-and steam technologies. less equipment have felt a maker’s touch. Museum

Throughout the day, volunteers kept feeding the members meet every Thursday to tackle the work-boiler as the steam engines kept cranking. And in-progress. The Yankee Steam-Up is the museum’s there are a few steam-powered vehicles prowling major public event. To see the museum at other around as well: a steam-powered motorcycle and a times, visitors should contact the museum in vintage Stanley Steamer Bus were on hand. advance at (401) 885-0545.

In addition to this impressive display of steam ^{power, the museum operates the oldest work-} Brian Jepson is an O’Reilly editor, programmer, and co-author ing wireless station in the world, Massie Wireless of three O’Reilly Media books.