The Dudley Castle Engine

Tipton, Staffordshire, 1712

The first useful steam engine in the world: Thomas Newcomen’s machine at Lord Dudley’s coal works, raising water from a hundred and fifty feet with the weight of the atmosphere. It ran night and day and asked nothing but coal and cold water, and for a colliery sitting on its own coal, that was as good as free. Every engine in this museum descends from it.

The original made about 12 strokes a minute — some 5½ horsepower — and nobody thought to measure the coal.

On the Works’ bed she makes near five strokes a minute, five horses, and four millions of duty.

One of the cabinet’s specimens, each ready for the test bed.