Watt Canal Pumping Engine, 1796

01

Artifact Overview

Boulton and Watt built this engine for the Warwick and Birmingham Canal Navigation Company in 1796. It was used at the Bowyer Street pumping station in Birmingham, England, to pump water on the Bordesley Canal until 1854, when it was superseded by a more modern engine. The engine remained in the pumping station until coming to The Henry Ford in 1929.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Steam engine (Engine)

Date Made

1796

Creator Notes

Designed by James Watt and manufactured by Boulton & Watt in Birmingham, England. Engine cylinder cast by the Coalbrookdale Company.

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Made in America

Object ID

29.1531.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Steel (Alloy)
Cast Iron
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 30 ft
Width: 31.75 ft
Length: 39.5 ft
Horsepower: 45 hp (33.56 kW)
Diameter: 46 in (Bore)
Length: 96 in (Stroke)

Inscriptions

undocumented location: BOWYER / NO.33