Plants like this often had huge steam engines driving the generators at first. Sometimes these machines were removed after they became obsolete and turbines were put in their place.
To aleviate fears. Diagnostic Xray Machines have absolutely no radioactive material in them, PERIOD. The way an XRay is produced is by firing highly excited electrons traveling past the range of visible light and into the range of XRay where they are fired across a vacuumm tube inside the round metal canister. These strike an anode and are deflected through a glass port in the bottom of the tube. The box at the bottom with the knobs is a collimater which decides the size of the field of electons passing by using adjuxtable lead sheets. The electrons pass through the body and the table and into a film cassette. The inside of this cassette contains specially treated sheets on both sides that glow when bombarded by the electrons, thereby exposing the film.
The only hazard is when the machine is actually shooting an XRay.
Castle Sterilizer was originally Wilmot Castle. They were the second most popular large sterilizer manufacturer in the US, behind AMSCO
(American Sterilizer Company). Castle was purchased by Getinge and AMSCO was purchase by STERIS. This is a nice old machine and would be considered a Medium size Steam Sterilizer. I have been a Biomedical Electronics Technician for over 30 years and know just about all medical Equipment. I don't like Castle either!
InSearch, I've wondered about that too. I guess it's the same reason I have two old computers in my closet. They're too good to throw out and they could be used in an emergency.
Ambulance stretchers all have straps that go around the chest, waist, and legs of the patient. Their function is the same as a seat belt in a car; to protect the patient in the event of an accident.