What is this steampunk contraption?

While driving through Milford, Utah, I came across this contraption. It looked so cool and so steampunk, but I have no idea what it is. Do you?

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

MILFORD, Utah--I need your help.

I was driving through this tiny western Utah town on Road Trip 2007, and I saw this contraption by the side of the road as I zipped by.

It was so bizarre looking that I had to go back to see it. Fortunately, there wasn't another car in sight, so I simply popped the car into reverse and backed up.

It was there, just off the road, looking like it hadn't been used in decades. Kind of like a display piece. And it reminded me of the steampunk revival that has been going on recently: old, funky machines with odd belts and gears that are steam-powered.

Now, I don't know anything about this machine, except that it was in Milford, Utah.

But I hope maybe one of you fine folks might have an idea.

So, if you know what it is, please e-mail me. I don't have a prize to give, exactly, but I can certainly publicly give you your due props if you're the first person to correctly identify it.

After all, this is the Web 2.0 era, where everything is interactive, right?

Help me out!