Museum of Science and Industry

From its invention in the eighteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century, the steam engine was vital to Manchester's industrial success. Industry no longer had to be located near rivers, but could operate wherever fuel was available.

The first practical steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. It was used to pump water out of mines. The work of James Watt led to the widespread use of the steam engine. He made the engines more efficient and built an engine that converted the pumping motion into rotary motion. Steam could now be used to power machines in mills, factories and workshops, revealing the steam engine's full potential.

The early engines were vertical beam engines. From the 1850s, horizontal engines became more popular. These engines became widely used in the cotton industry in Greater Manchester, and many were still in use in the twentieth century.