Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology

[RobertInOntario]

The tour guide started the engines by simply inserting a key and pressing a button.

That might mean that they are using an electric motor to simply turn the mechanism. Steam engines can be realtively quiet, but you would still expect to hear the sound of steam/compression when the piston is moving.

Andrew

Yes, good point. I'm going to try to phone them in the next day or so -- quite curious now! :?: Rob