| Whitbread Engine | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Boulton & Watt steam engine decommissioned in 1887, at the Powerhouse Museum | |
| Origins | |
| Type | Watt, rotative beam |
| Designer | James Watt |
| Maker | Boulton and Watt |
| Date | 1785 |
| Country of origin | England |
| Former operator | Whitbread, London, England |
| Purpose | Driving brewery machinery |
| Measurements | |
| Cylinders | 1 |
| Bore | 0.64 metres (25 in) |
| Stroke | 1.8 metres (6 ft) |
| Flywheel diameter | 4.27 metres (10 ft) |
| Power | 26 kilowatts (35 hp) (as built) |
| Preservation | |
| Location | Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia 33°52′40″S 151°11′58″E / 33.877898°S 151.199573°E |
| URL | collection |
The Whitbread Engine preserved in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, built in 1785, is one of the first rotative steam engines ever built, and is the oldest surviving.[1][2] A rotative engine is a type of beam engine where the reciprocating motion of the beam is converted to rotary motion, producing a continuous power source suitable for driving machinery.
This engine was designed by the mechanical engineer James Watt, of the firm Boulton and Watt and originally installed in the Whitbread brewery in London, England. On decommissioning in 1887 it was sent to Australia's Powerhouse Museum (then known as the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum) and has since been restored to full working order.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
travelwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Emerson, Arthur (2001). Historical dictionary of Sydney. Scarecrow Press. p. 294. ISBN 0-8108-3999-7.