Weekend Steam: Spark Shows

A recent attraction at steam shows is the "Spark Show." These are dramatic, and are great crowd pleasers. The old-timers who used these engines to work would look on this as so much foolishness, but today the steamers are recreational, and educational tools, and you have to attract new fans to keep the steam shows viable. This video is courtesy of TheBoss4845, and the engine is a 13 HP Russell. The sparks are made by piling sawdust in the firebox, waiting for it to catch, then opening the draft doors and the throttle; great fun, and beautiful to watch.