Gesterkamp's Garage

I am sure my dad never thought this day would ever come! In 1954, he started a project to build a fully functional steam engine. He almost finished casting and machining all parts and pieces, but never really got to finish it. After he met my mom and kids came along the project was put on ice and into a large box that was stored until 2006. When I asked my dad to give me what he had, he was probably thinking that it would spend another 50 year lying around my house. Inspired by Jay Leno’s patience for steam engines, I started to work on the engine and boiler in late 2009. Timing couldn’t have been better, the day my parents arrived for their first visit in two years, I finished the final assembly. It was a great feeling to see my dad’s face when he realized that his little project was actually finish and fully functional. What a great father son moment that was. Check out the pictures in my garage, as the project went through its many stages.