From collection Jon Johansen Collection
Unidentified Sidewheeler with Small Sailboats
In this B&W image we see an unidentified sidewheeler which is driven by a walking beam* engine, the top of which can be seen looming from the superstructure of the steamboat. Also seen are several small sailboats and a dock.
Marine beam engines
The first steam-powered ships used variants of the rotative beam engine. These marine steam engines – known as side-lever, grasshopper, crosshead, or *walking beam, among others – all varied from the original land-based machines by locating the beam or beams in different positions to take up less room on board ship.
