Steam Engine

This is the steam engine that ran the big crusher wheel (I think) that used to smoosh the sugar cane. You could actually see quite a bit of the old machinery, and they had lots of signs posted explaining the process. Very interesting.

Steam power was added to this plantation in the late 19th century, and by the early 20th century, sugar production was no longer economically viable. The Reef Bay Plantation was one of the last factories to close.

As a random side note, this steam engine looks very, very similar to many of the steam boilers I see in nyc basements. It's amazing how little the technology has changed.

Phot credit: Betsy Jenkins 2006