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A steam engine transforms energy out of almost any source into mechanical work. While the history of steam engines goes back to about ~130 BC, it was the Industrial Revolution that made them commonplace - and it was the steam engine that made the Industrial Revolution possible. Steam power also revolutionized the way to travel. It made public transport possible and shortened travel time. Even today, steam engines play a major role in our world. Just imagine power plants that wouldn't function without the help of steam turbines. Paddle Steamer Gisela: "Gisela" is the name of a daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The name was probably chosen for this ship because it has a "Kaiserkabine" (Emperor's Cabin), which was reserved for the members of the royal house of Habsburg. In the 18th century there was no adequate road from Gmunden to Ebensee, so the ship was the primary means of transportation to the summer residence in Bad Ischl. Gisela's keel was laid in 1870 at Joseph Ruston's shipyard in Vienna. Then the ship was taken apart, brought to the Traunsee and re-assembled in 1871. Also the oscillating steam engine, built at the Prager Maschinenfabrik AG was installed at the Traunsee. More than a century later 1980 was a sad year for Gisela. The ship was taken out of service because of material fatigue and necessary repairs were too expensive. Only private fund-raising by the "Friends of Gmunden" throughout Austria saved the ship from being scrapped. After a thorough restoration, the ship was put back into service in 1986. Today, Gisela's heart is the last oscillating compound steam engine in active service. See more images of Gisela at www.austria-360.at More information about Gisela available at http://www.traunseeschiffahrt.at (German) Behind the scene : how this panorama was made
See more images of Gisela at www.austria-360.at Visit my main site at http://dativ.at 
Shortcut to this page: http://worldwidepanorama.org/wwp_rss/go/n1401
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