Steam Engine Collection

The collection includes two types of mobile steam engine: portable engines that had to be hauled into place and traction engines that could move under their own power. The collection comprises 13 portable and self-propelled engines and three stationary steam engines, 16 machines in all. The steam collection dates from 1893 to 2012.

The oldest surviving portable steam engine in Poland is the 1895 Garrett Smith, while the oldest self-propelled example is the 1910 George White. The collection also includes a Bergedorfer Eisenwerk engine from 1893, one of the oldest working steam engines. It is the largest museum collection of mobile and stationary steam engines in Poland; all 16 machines have been restored and remain operational. The engines are demonstrated at selected outdoor museum events; otherwise they form part of the machinery display. The collection brings stationary engines together with equipment that could be moved between workplaces. A steam engine mounted on wheels was not necessarily a vehicle capable of moving by itself.