Newcomen Memorial Engine, Steam engine museum in Dartmouth, United Kingdom
The Newcomen Memorial Engine is a preserved beam engine showing how early steam machines worked mechanically. The display at the Engine House demonstrates through modern methods how the machine pumped water and lifted loads using steam power.
The machine was built in 1714 and first worked in coal mines near Nuneaton, pumping water from the shafts. Later, in 1821, it was moved to a canal company before eventually becoming a monument to engineering history in Dartmouth.
The engine shows the engineering skills of the early 1700s and how people learned to harness power from steam. Visitors can see how individual parts work together to move water from mines.
The engine is housed in the Engine House, which also serves as a tourist information center with regular viewing times. Best to visit on days when hydraulic demonstrations are running to see the machine in working motion.
This machine is the oldest working steam engine still in existence anywhere in the world. An important feature is its cast iron cylinder, added in 1725, which helped significantly improve how efficiently the machine ran.
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