Search Results: Steam Engine

The steam engine developed by the Scotsman James Watt (1736-1819) from 1769 was much more efficient in terms of power and fuel consumption than earlier models, and it significantly increased the possible uses for this key invention of the...

Steam power was one of the most significant developments of the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) in Britain. First invented as a pump in the 1690s, a host of inventors tweaked designs and tinkered with machinery until an efficient and powerful...

The steam hammer was developed in 1839 by the Scotsman James Nasmyth (also spelt Naysmyth, 1808-1890). Coming in a wide range of dimensions, the steam-powered machine was used to forge and shape very large pieces of metal for industrial use...

A Watt & Boulton steam engine, one of the key innovations of the Industrial Revolution. Dating to 1788, this example is the oldest original rotative steam engine in the world. Designed and built by James Watt (1736-1819) and Matthew Boulton...

A model of a rotary motion steam engine based on those built by James Watt (1736-1819) during the Industrial Revolution. Harnessing steam power in a wheel made the engines much more versatile than the older vertical piston engines.

An 1869 etching showing the Scottish instrument worker James Watt (1736-1819) developing a new design of steam engine in the 1760s and 1770s during the Industrial Revolution.

A diagram showing the essential design features of the early atmospheric steam engine designed by Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) during the Industrial Revolution. Heated water (blue) creates steam (pink) which has a much great volume. When the...

The British Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) brought innovative mechanisation and deep social change. The process saw the invention of steam-powered machines, which were used in factories in ever-growing urban centres. Agriculture remained...

The Rocket was a pioneering steam-powered locomotive invented in 1829 by the British engineer Robert Stephenson (1803-1859). For a cash prize, extensive competition trials were held to find the best locomotive in the Rainhill Trials. Rocket...

The British Industrial Revolution transformed life at work and at home for practically everyone. Noise, pollution, social upheaval, and repetitive jobs were the price to pay for labour-saving machines, cheap and comfortable transportation...