For stationary (demonstration) type use size is not so important. Most boilers will operate an engine when it has no load on it. The only difference will be that you might get a 10 minute run out of a small boiler and a 30 minute run out of a larger one. It is a good idea to have the engine doing some sort of work, perhaps driving a generator which powers a light bulb or similar. This stops the engine from running too fast and doing damage and the more load you put on the more efficient, generally speaking, the engine will be. When revving freely the engine uses more steam than when it is under load. Hope this helps. Cheers, Ian.