Kirjahaku

Over three hundred years ago, the first steps were made towards the use of steam power. Most of the steps went beyond the boundary of available technology. The reliable drainage of metal and coal mines was the incentive. Thomas Newcomen using contemporary technology in his beam engine was the first to achieve success, in 1712. Improved by James Watt, the beam engine became the most used form of steam engine in factories, mines and waterworks until well into the second half of the nineteenth century. Examples were still in use into the 1970s. This book outlines the development of the beam engine and gives some explanation of why it was so successful.

In Victorian times the steam engine was the main source of mechanical power, and thousands were at work driving machinery in factories and pumping stations throughout Britain. Following the development of the electric motor, however, steam power has become virtually extinct in British industry. Ironically, with their disappearance from commercial use, more engines are available for public viewing than ever before, and some can be seen in operation in the places where they spent their working lives. To most people these engines will seem complex and mysterious. This book aims to resolve some of the complexities and mysteries. It gives an outline of the development of the stationary steam engine and explains in simple language how it works.