Nice test set-up there Tom ..... but hey now, how about a Steam / Electric drive in some vessel?
Horribly inefficient no doubt, but then the whole model steam concept is pretty inefficient to begin with.
Perhaps turbine electric would be the way to go, just to maximize that inefficiency, as it is really hard to get most any boiler to stay up to pressure against the amazing steam hunger of a turbine, which in turn produces very little usable energy and has little sustainable torque.
Okay, you're right, just use the Steam / Electric on the test bench as an easy load for testing the other parts of the system.
Boats really should be Mechanically driven with steam power! ;c)