Expanding on my previous post, I believe in the spirit of this project it should be steam power only. Batteries were around as early as the 1800s but not in the form i'd be using. Anyways, for the boiler being built, I found a good generator. 

Here's the specs:

Speed: 5300 RPM
Voltage: 10 VDC @ 10 Watts
Voltage no load: 12 VDC
Max Current: 2.4 Amps

So I got 10 watts to work with and that's maxed out. So not much. 
Here's a pic:

You can just do things. In this spirit, I am attempting to chronicle building a steam powered Ethereum node, API and website.

Great find on the generator! Steam power is a great choice for this project, allowing for a more traditional and authentic experience.