6' Pelton Water Wheel

The Pelton Water Wheel was widely used across the United States to power mines, mills and power plants. The Pelton wheel differed from other water wheels in that it only required a small amount of water to power and ran at a high speed. Water jets, fed by gravity, would blast onto the bottom of the wheel and the unique shape of the cups meant that little water was deflected back. This model represents the early wheels, built before 1900 at the Miner's Foundry in Nevada City and later at the Pelton Water Wheel Co, in San Francisco. This model prints in 5 separate pieces, meaning you can use them as car loads.