Power: From Water to Steam
Discover how the advances of the Industrial Revolution made an
impact in Scotland.
The discovery that steam could drive machines transformed
manufacturing. Soon, engines and steam boilers were powering
Scotland's industrial expansion.
The steam era
Steam technology began early in the 18th century. The dominating
machine in the gallery is the huge Newcomen atmospheric engine, the
first practical steam engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen of
Dartmouth, Devon. A rare survivor, it was used to pump water from
coal mines near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
James Watt
In 1769, the Scottish engineer James Watt invented the separate
condenser (Case 3), a development which was to prove crucial to the
advance of steam power, allowing for the invention of efficient
steam engines that were able to drive all kinds of machinery and
which soon became the main source of industrial power.
Spinning and weaving
This gallery also explores how technological innovations
affected textile production, as spinning and then weaving moved
from the home to the factory. Take a look at the handlooms on
display, and compare them with the freestanding Corliss engine,
which powered a small weaving mill in Alva, Clackmannanshire.