Steam donkey

A steam donkey, also known as a donkey engine, is a big machine that helps to move and lift heavy things like logs or rocks in a forest or a construction site. It's called a donkey because it's very strong and can carry a lot, just like a donkey.

This machine works a bit like a steam train. It has a big boiler filled with water that heats up and produces steam. The steam then goes into a cylinder that powers the engine.

The steam donkey has a long chain or cable that is wound around a big drum. When the engine turns, it pulls the chain or cable and this can be used to lift things up or move them around.

So, if you imagine a big log that needs to be moved from one place to another, the steam donkey can help. It wraps the chain around the log and then the engine starts up. As the drum turns, the chain pulls on the log and moves it to its new location.

Even though steam donkeys are very old machines, they were very important back in the day because they could do a lot of heavy lifting that people couldn't do on their own.