Watt Canal Pumping Engine, 1796
THF140116 / 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the Bowyer Street pumping station in Birmingham, England, to pump water on the Bordesley Canal until 1854, when it was superseded by a more modern engine.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
Place of Creation
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
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Content
popular research topicWhat If the World Ran on Steam?
In 1849, George H. Corliss’s new steam engine helped steam power surpass waterpower in American industry.
SetAmerica's Industrial Revolution
- 24 Artifacts
Steam power initially spread in the United States via its adoption and adaptation in ships and boats. This early mill engine's layout and dimensions are firmly rooted in Mississippi riverboat practice, while its applied decorative detail and vibrant color scheme speak to the increasingly elevated status of steam technology as it found a firm footing in mills and factories.