Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

This past couple of weeks, they have been hauling wind turbine blades through NE Colorado. These blades are 234 feet long which would make the wind turbine roughly a 468-470 foot windmill with center added. What was the largest wooden and largest steel mills built? I am sure that most would be railroad models. Too much time on my hands with Covid-19 and was just curious. Thanks,Ron

I believe Comet (an Australian company) made a 35’ steel water pumper. Any bigger than 35’?

I’ve seen a photo of an old enormous wooden windmill and if I can recall where I saw it, I’ll post a link.

Charles Brush 12kW, wind dynamo, built 1888, Cleveland, OH, 56 ft dia, 80,000lbs. Big but not certain it was largest.

Field Guide to American Windmills says they where built up to 60ft. Nice picture page 21 of book.

Sandhills Ron

I have been doing a lot of work on the CO plains this year and the turbines are everywhere. I dont mind seeing them but not entirely thrilled seeing the pulsating red lights at night. I call it the red light district. The plains is really the best place in CO for solitude, the mountains are too popular.

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

I'm out east next to Nebraska border.The only person that goes by my ranch everyday is the mailman. That's just the way I like it. I agree with you on the red lights on the wind turbines. They are very distracting at night on Hwy 6, as all 150 blink simultaneously. They just approved another 85 machines for Logan County. Are you installing solar pumps?

Really good trips to the Front Range and plains are windmills and solar. The windmills are for Front Rangers that want to replicate living on the plains. The solar goes on the ranches with often windmills coming down that come back to the shop for rebuilding. It is a vicious lucrative cycle. My ranch solar customers are subsidized by the Boulderites buying windmills and they dont mind. Even tho I climb a lot of mountains, I like the plains. Were you close enough to AJ Wodack when he lived at Wray to know him?

Read an interesting article about how turbines were stopped in one area of Indiana as they affect the NOAA tornado monitoring warning system.
https://www.courierpress.com/story/opin ... 007419002/

Ron

Going out west on I-20 toward Sweetwater. the turbines blink in groups. If the first time you drive out that way is after dark you wonder what in the world. You will have 7 or 8 blinking lights to one side then he other, then the middle. Weird looking makes you wonder about outer space creatures.

Just up the road about 15 miles from me is a town called Bennet Ne. In the old days they has a 60' wooden wheel that ran a grist mill. A picture of it is on pg.21 of the Guide to America Windmills.