News
Hazards “Mr Tetin Smelt Gas And Lit A Match!”
A house in St. Mary’s Road, Upton Park was partly wrecked and completely cut in two on Saturday by a gas explosion. The furniture was reduced to a mass of debris, while Mr George Tetin, the occupier, was injured and his wife and two daughters had narrow escapes. Fifty canaries in the dining room were also uninjured.
Looming Large at the Museum of Carpet
The tremendous noise of power looms weaving carpet fills the Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster each time the volunteer weavers run these giant machines. This is not an easy job and requires years of training. They are not simply weaving a flat cloth, but create a three dimensional product which is velvety and luxurious.
The Hazards of New Technology
I am currently locked down at Clevedon Court, our family house in Somerset continuing the long task of transcribing the diaries of my great-great grandfather, Sir Arthur Elton (1819-1883). They throw up a lot of interesting things about the difficulties of introducing modern conveniences to an enormous mediaeval house.
Runcorn To Widnes Bridge Refurbishment
The newly refurbished Runcorn to Widnes Road Bridge (also known as The Silver Jubilee Bridge) was originally designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson with steelwork by Dorman-Long (Bridge and Engineering). Work began in 1956 and it opened in 1961.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – PLEASE READ
The Newcomen Position on Coronavirus Given Government advice on the likely duration of the Coronavirus epidemic, we are working on the principle of postponement rather than cancellation of events. [...]
Newcomen Southern Appoint New Chairman
Newcomen Southern Appoint New Chairman Dr Mark Walker is the new Chairman of Newcomen Southern. He is a freelance Instrumentation, Control and Automation (ICA) Engineer/Consultant working predominantly in the [...]
Visit to Rhydymwyn Valley Works
Valley Works, in the countryside west of Mold in North Wales, was developed in the late 1930s as a shadow factory for ICI's Randle Works in Runcorn, where mustard gas was made. The Valley was known by the local residents as a place that made nasty things - there were notices in Welsh and English about what to do in the event of a gas escape! In 1941, the MAUD committee reported that an atom bomb was theoretically possible and it was decided to start work on the formidable task of separating uranium isotopes. Again, the site chosen was Rhydymwyn Valley, which had the added advantage of being topographically difficult to bomb accurately.
The Society’s Summer Visit to Birmingham has been Cancelled
The Society's Summer Visit to Birmingham has been Cancelled The Society has cancelled the three-day Summer Visit to Birmingham that was due to take place from 28th- 30th [...]
Welcome To The New Website
Welcome To The New Website You have arrived at the new Newcomen website. A portal for the Newcomen membership that enables unparalleled access to The International Journal For [...]
Rupert Bear – Not Much of an Engineer????
Dr Fred Starr will be give his lecture to the Sidcup Literary and Scientific Society on Tuesday, January 8th. The idea for the talk came from comments made by some members of Newcomen, when the phrase “Rupert Bear Engineering” is used to describe half baked inventions