News
Newcomen Helps Save Sydney Industrial Museum
The Society has campaigned for the retention of The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, one of the world’s leading science and technology museums. Engines on display include an early house-built Bolton & Watt rotative beam engine and a Maudslay beam engine.
Newcomen Researchers Refute Claim That Stephenson Built Hetton Locomotive
Dr Michael Bailey and Peter Davidson conducted a forensic analysis of the steam locomotive Lyons, claimed to have been designed by George Stephenson and to pre-date Locomotion I (1825) and Rocket (1829).
Beautiful Engineering Technique
We explore fifty years of history of the Clevedon firm of Willcocks featuring pink elephants, flying saucers and all. This versatile firm pioneered polishing machines for microscopes, a portable respirator for polio victims and turned its hand to a range of difficult projects no one else would undertake.
The Aunt with the Kettle
The tale of a youthful James Watt. As a teenager he often stayed with the Muirheads and through them, ‘met with good society’!
Lockdown and Industrial Heritage
Bob Gwynne explains the many links between 'The Danny' and the Llangollen Railway – two heritage projects threatened by lockdown.
Autogyros – Dark Arts, Light Aircraft
Dr Phillip Judkins and Squadron Leader Mike Dean MBE on the role of autogyros in calibrating Battle of Britain radar stations.
A Newcomen Member’s Guide to “The Saltscape”
A Newcomen Member’s Guide to “The Saltscape” These notes were prepared for those attending The Society’s 2018 Symposium on The White Salt Industry. They have been dusted off [...]
Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station Plays Out
On March 31st 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemonium, Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), the latest owners of Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station, finally shut down its turbines; this after a long period of doubt & temporary stoppages.
Kenneth Yeomans Award (Updated)
The Society has recently granted the Award to two recipients: The Museum of Carpet (Kidderminster) and Sheffield's Kelham Island Museum. The funding has also been increased - propositions are welcome.
80 Years of Cavity Magnetron
This year, 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the development of the cavity magnetron, a small but immensely powerful and robust radio valve, at first used in wartime radars and today at the heart of every microwave oven.