slgwv's photos with the keyword: Pelton wheel

Tonopah Mining Museum, Nevada. A type of water wheel, just lying on its side-- But in use, it would have been upright, with a jet of water shooting into the cups on the wheel to spin it. Obviously they were only practical with lots of running water around. They found lots of use in the Mother Lode country, in the Sierra foothills, but would have been useless in most Nevada camps.