Beam engine

Resource Type: Image | Posted on 31st October 2011 by Liam Physick

One of the images donated to Metal by Eric Shenton. Here we see a beam engine, a type of fixed steam engine powered by a pivoted overhead beam. It was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1705, and later improved by a number of other engineers, including James Watt. Among other fuctions, they were used as winding engines, of the type used on many early railways, including the Liverpool and Manchester and the Stockton and Darlington. This particular example seems to have been one of those used to haul locomotives through the Wapping Tunnel to Edge Hill

Tagged under: edge hill station, liverpool and manchester railway, eric shenton, tunnels, tunnels, wapping tunnel, fixed engines, stockton and darlington railway, james watt, thomas newcomen

Categorised under: The Station & Railway Pioneers