Engineering Heritage Awards facts for kids

The tilt hammers (1785) are probably the oldest set on their original site. They exemplify engineering technology in the heyday of water power. Together they symbolise the achievement of steel-makers and engineers which provided the foundations of the Industrial Revolution.

On the opening day of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, 27 September 1825, he drove this engine, hauling the inaugural train, on the world's first steam-worked public railway.

Developed from the P1127, a concept by the Hawker Aircraft and Bristol Siddeley Engines design teams under the leadership of Sir Sydney Camm and Sir Stanley Hooker.

It incorporates ten different climatic zones, created and maintained by a fully integrated computer-controlled system.

It is vital and effective in London's flood defences as well as being one of the capital's aesthetically pleasing major structures.

Project sponsored by the Greater London Council. Consulting engineers Rendel Palmer and Tritton. Operated by the National Rivers Authority.

Since its opening in 1911 it has provided a reliable crossing of the Tees, without the need for approach embankments, allowing freedom of passage to ocean-going vessels. Designed by Mr GC Imbault of Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and built by Sir William Arrol & Co.

It earned a worldwide reputation for the quality of the railway axles produced in the 19th century. It was a pioneering example of integrated engineering, combining research, design, and manufacture and testing.

Turbinia is powered by his greatest invention, the first practical steam turbine, which transformed high speed ship propulsion and established the foundation for present-day electrical power generation.

It is an example of the first commercially successful internal combustion engine which was introduced at the 1867 Paris Exhibition.

Reducing refuse to sterile, inert residue and extending the life of landfill sites are additional environmental and economic benefits of the scheme.

Introduced in 1886, it was the first successful engine of its type in the United Kingdom. The quality of his mechanical engineering has lasted.

Used to join the tubulars of offshore oil platforms, the design in cast steel represented a significant milestone for both the development of casting technology and offshore structures.

Ashby Road

Tamworth

Staffordshire

B79 0BU

In recognition of James Watt's improvements to the steam engine. ‘Old Bess’ was built by Boulton and Watt in 1777 and used to power their Soho Manufactory until 1848. This engine was the precursor of much of the power-generating plant on show in the Museum and is the oldest surviving of Watt's engines.

Engine No. 6 (known as The William Prescott) is the largest working steam engine in the World.

Powering the last steam driven weaving mill in the world

This horizontal tandem compound condensing engine was built by W Roberts and Sons of Nelson in 1894 and powered the mill until Queen Street Manufacturing Company closed down in 1982. Now 'Peace' is preserved and can be seen working in her original location.

Launched in 1938 at Harland & Wolff, the only surviving major Royal navy warship from WWII. Four 20,000 hp steam turbines, a speed of 32 knots, twelve 6 inch guns and displacing 11,500 tons; HMS Belfast's success in battle is a tribute to her sound design and the skill and courage of her crew.

A unique collection of working textile and power machinery enabling visitors to experience the whole process from spinning raw cotton to weaving finished cloth.

Quarry Bank Mill is a site of educational importance, providing a link for the children of today with children of a bygone era.

The steam driven extrusion plant was installed in 1897 and operated for over 70 years. Restored by the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust, this is thought to be the only working example in the country.

Brick making machinery such as this was key to the expansion of our towns and cities.

Designer: John Philip Holland

Built by Vickers Maxim at Barrow-in-Furness and launched in 1901, this pioneer submarine was powered by a 160 hp petrol engine and had a surface speed of 8 knots. A 70 hp electric motor gave a submerged speed of 7 knots.

Holland 1 was the Royal Navy's first operational submarine.

1671 to 1967

The Royal Arsenal produced much of the armaments required by this country during the growth of the British Empire and through two World Wars. Many important mechanical innovations were developed by the first Chief Mechanical Engineer, Sir John Anderson (1814–1886), Vice President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

A & J Inglis Ltd – Glasgow

Built in 1946 for the London & North Eastern Railway, Waverley is the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world. She has a displacement of 693 tons and Rankin & Blackmore triple expansion steam engine producing 2100 ihp at 58 rpm. In acceptance trials she achieved a speed of 18 knots.

Designed by Roy Chadwick and Stuart Davies

The last airworthy representative of the RAF's V-bomber fleet, the British strategic deterrent from 1955 to 1969, the Vulcan is a stirring example of British leadership in aviation. XH558 was in service until 1993 and is powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines.

Opened in 1866, the Talyllyn Railway is the oldest continuously operated narrow gauge railway in Britain. In 1951 it became the world's first volunteer operated preserved railway.

At 7.25 miles long and with a gauge of 2 feet and 3 inches, the Talyllyn Railway is an important part of Welsh industrial heritage.

Willans Works, Newbold Road, Rugby. CV21 2NH

Moved in 2017 to the Internal Fire – Museum of Power in West Wales.

Central Valve Steam Engine

Willans & Robinson

Built in 1901 at Rugby, this 140 hp three crank compound engine was in service for 57 years.

Willans engines ran at 350 to 500rpm and could be direct-coupled to generators. In 1892 they accounted for 68% of all electricity generated in Britain, dominating this market until the advent of steam turbines.

Jaguar E-type

Designed by Malcolm Sayer under the direction of Sir William Lyons (HonFIMechE) the Jaguar E-type is a direct descendant of the cars which won five Le Mans 24 hour races during the 1950s.

It introduced breakthrough motor engineering technology such as the combined monocoque-spaceframe which in later years was adopted by Formula one.

Boulton and Watt Engine

The oldest rotative steam engine in the world.

Built in 1785, it powered Whitbread's London Brewery until 1887. James Watt demonstrated this engine to King George III when he visited the brewery in 1787.

This engine marks the start of mass industrialisation and the exponential increase in our use of fossil fuel.

20 December 2011

The Humphrey Pump

H A Humphrey MIMechE

A four-stroke engine with no pistons or crankshaft, Humphrey's ingenious invention patented in 1906 acts directly upon the water it pumps.

This gas-fuelled example, built by William Beardmore & Co., served Cobdogla from 1927 to 1965.

Restored in 1985, it is the only working Humphrey Pump in the world.

20 December 2011

Locomotive No.1

The oldest surviving steam locomotive in Australia

Built by Robert Stephenson & Co. in 1854, this is the only locomotive designed by James McConnell, one of the founders of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, to have been preserved.

Locomotive No.1 symbolises the transformation of social, industrial and commercial life in New South Wales through British railway technology.

20 December 2011

MS Yavari

The world's oldest iron kit-built ship.

Designed by James Watt & Co and built in 1862 by the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Co, she was assembled on the shores of Lake Titicaca, Peru and launched in 1870.

Now powered by a 1914 4-cylinder Bolinder hot bulb semi-diesel engine producing 320 bhp at 225rpm, MS Yavari is an enduring symbol of the ingenuity and global reach of British engineering.

14 March 2012

Clydebank Titan Crane

Sir William Arrol & Co

Built in 1907 for John Brown's shipyard, the Titan Crane is the oldest of its type in the world.

With a lifting capacity of 200 tons, Titan was instrumental in the prosperity of the shipyard and Clydebank's rich shipbuilding heritage.

This giant cantilever crane dominates the local landscape, inspiring all who visit it.

5 July 2012

The Falkirk Wheel

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, this is the world's only fully rotating boatlift.

A sublime fusion of ancient mechanical engineering principles with cutting-edge design and technology, The Falkirk Wheel serves the local community and adorns the landscape.

6 July 2012

Short SC1 Research Aircraft

Designer: David Keith-Jones FIMechE

In 1960 the SC1 became the first British fixed-wing aircraft to switch from vertical to horizontal flight and back again.

Using four Rolls-Royce RB108 engines for lift and one for forward propulsion, the SC1 advanced knowledge in control systems and the safe operation of VTOL aircraft.

4 October 2012

This magnificent horizontal-twin tandem triple-expansion engine powered all the cotton-spinning machines in the mill for 60 years.

Built by J&E Wood in 1907, the engine could produce 2,500 hp at 68rpm.

Today, it drives the mill's unique multi-floor rope race through the 70-ton flywheel.

Victoria and Alexandra

The Ellenroad Engine

The only working survivor of the great twin horizontal tandem compound steam engines that powered the largest Lancashire mills.

Built in 1892 as a triple-expansion engine by J&W McNaught of Rochdale and rebuilt in 1920 by Clayton, Goodfellow & Co of Blackburn.

Developing 3,000 hp at 200psi, it drove all 122,000 spindles at the Ellenroad Mill.

The Newcomen Engine

Black Country Living Museum

This is a full size working replica of the earliest documented steam engine. Built in 1986 using contemporary 18th-century engravings, inventories and descriptions, this engine marks the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

The original engine was erected near Dudley in 1712. It was capable of pumping 170,000 gallons of water a day without recourse to wind, water or animal power.

This engine was restored to celebrate the Tercentenary.

Lion Locomotive Todd, Kitson & Laird of Leeds

Star of track and film, Lion is the oldest locomotive to have been steamed in Britain.

Lion was built in 1838 and worked for 20 years on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway before being sold to Mersey Docks & Harbour Board as a stationary pumping engine.

Rescued in 1927, this 0-4-2 represents the typical British locomotive of her era.

Cruachan

Balancing supply with fluctuating demand.

Transforming electrical energy to potential energy and back again, Cruachan is the world's first high-head reversible pumped-storage power station.

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1965, Cruachan can generate over 440MW of electricity during peak demand or use surplus electricity to pump water to the reservoir 300 meters above.

Mallard

The World's Fastest Steam Locomotive

Designed for speed by Sir Nigel Gresley, Past President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Mallard was built at Doncaster Works in 1938 and was the first A4 Pacific to have a Kylchap double chimney, reducing exhaust back pressure and increasing power output at high speeds.

It attained 126 mph descending Stoke Bank on 3 July 1938.

King Edward Mine Mill

Training Generations of Mining Engineers

Opened by the Camborne School of Mines in 1904 this, the oldest complete Cornish tin mill, marked a major change in tin concentration processes and technology.

Restored to working condition, the mill continues to demonstrate to visitors how mined ore is treated to produce finished tin concentrate.

17 May 2013

Advanced Passenger Train – Experimental

British Rail – Derby Litchurch Lane Works

The world's first self-propelled active tilting train and the first to use computer designed wheelsets and active suspension to eliminate hunting.

Powered by ten 350 hp British Leyland gas turbines the APT-E set the British speed record for non-electric traction of 152.3 mph in 1975.

Design principles of tilting trains in use today can be traced back to the APT-E.

24 May 2013

Volk's Electric Railway Brighton

The world's oldest operating electric railway opened 4 August 1883

Constructed by pioneering electrical engineer Magnus Volk, the line still follows much of the original route.

Continued operation of this railway is a tribute to his life and work.

Lacey Green Windmill

The oldest surviving Smock Windmill in the United Kingdom with wooden machinery dating from around 1650.

Restored from dereliction to working order between 1971 and 1986 by volunteer members of The Chiltern Society.

SR.N5 Hovercraft A new way of travelling.

Built in 1963 and powered by a 900-horsepower Bristol Siddeley Gnome gas turbine, Saunders Roe Nautical 5 was the first production hovercraft in the world.

This particular craft was used to demonstrate SR.N5 worldwide and train all the pilots for the Inter-Service Hovercraft Trials Unit based at Lee-on-Solent.

This is the last example in the world.

LNWR 'Coal Tank' No. 1054

Designed by Francis Webb

Built in Crewe Works by the London & North Western Railway in 1888 this 0-6-2T steam locomotive was not withdrawn until 1958, having travelled over one million miles in 70 years of public service.

With its preservation in 1960 it became a pioneer of today's heritage railway movement.

19 October 2013

Little Willie William Foster & Co

Designed by William Tritton and Walter Wilson, Little Willie, originally the No. 1 Lincoln Machine, was built in 1915. It subsequently introduced a new design of caterpillar track able to cope with the rigours of the Western Front.

This machine pioneered the combination of armour, firepower and mobility that led to the modern tank.

13 December 2013

Papplewick Pumping Station

A fine example of a Victorian fresh water pumping station.

Drawing from a 200 feet deep well, the two James Watt & Co rotative beam engines could supply Nottingham with three million gallons of clean water per day.

Built by Marriott Ogle Tarbotton and completed in 1884, it was in constant operation until 1969.

21 December 2013

6-inch Armstrong Disappearing Gun

Taiaroa Head, New Zealand

Guarding Otago Harbour, this breech loading gun was operational from 1889 to 1919 and pressed into service again from 1941 to 1943. Mounted on a hydro-pneumatic carriage it could fire a 100 lb shell out to 8000 yards.

It was restored to working order by volunteers from the Antique Arms Association and Otago Peninsula Trust.

24 January 2014

The Smethwick Engine Boulton & Watt

The World's Oldest Working Steam Engine. Designed by James Watt, the Smethwick Engine was erected in 1779 and pumped water at Smethwick Locks until 1891. It contains many original parts, including the main timber beam, and was the first engine to use the expansive power of steam.

14 February 2014

REPCO Brabham BT19 Racing Car

Sir Jack Brabham AO OBE Ron Tauranac AO & Phil Irving OBE

Winner of the 1966 Formula One Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, to date the only car to do so bearing the same constructor's and driver's name.

The BT19 with its 310 bhp REPCO V8 engine was a novel, effective, reliable race car that gave Jack Brabham his 3rd Formula One championship.

16 March 2014

Anderton Boat Lift

The world's oldest operational boat lift

Designed by Edwin Clark and opened in 1875 to raise boats 50 feet from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal using hydraulic power.

Later converted to electric drive, it was restored to hydraulic power in 2002 and continues to provide a navigable link between the two waterways.

21 March 2014

Concorde BAC – Aerospatiale

Powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines with afterburners, this was the first supersonic transport to enter service and pioneered the use of fly-by-wire in an airliner.

Concorde 101 G-AXDN is the British pre-production version. She reached Mach 2.23 (1,450 mph) in April 1974 and holds the speed record for the fleet.

30 April 2014

Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Britain's Last Operational Coal-Fired Paddle Steamer

Built in 1924 by Philip & Son of Dartmouth, Kingswear Castle is powered by a Cox & Co compound diagonal steam engine.

The engine, built in Falmouth in 1904, is from an earlier vessel of the same name and drives a pair of paddle wheels, ten feet in diameter, propelling Kingswear Castle at eight knots.

20 May 2014

Rover Safety Bicycle A Travel Revolution

Recognised as the first modern bicycle, its design is still followed today.

The low riding position and chain-driven rear wheel allowed this bicycle to be enjoyed by all. It also played a role in the liberation of women.

Designed by John Kemp Starley and produced in Coventry in 1888.

12 September 2014

The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway The Oldest Water-Powered Total-Loss Funicular Railway in the UK

Designed by George Marks, it has been in continuous operation since 1890. Using the potential energy of water from the West Lyn river and incorporating innovations such as a 'Dead Man's Handle' and fail-safe braking, the railway continues to benefit the local economy.

18 September 2014

Westland Lynx Record-Breaking Helicopter

G-LYNX, a modified Westland Lynx helicopter powered by 1,2000shp Rolls-Royce Gem 60 engines driving composite rotor blades and a titanium semi-rigid main rotor head. It broke the Helicopter World Speed Record on 11 August 1986 when it reached 249.09 mph over the Somerset Levels.

25 September 2014

The Old Furnace, Coalbrookdale

This award recognises not only the work of those early pioneers like Darby and the people at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust who have so ably kept the early days of the industrial revolution alive, but also the engineering spirit of innovation and progress.

9 October 2014

Woolf Double Beam Compound Engine

Designed in New Zealand by William Errington and manufactured by John Key & Sons in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

This magnificent engine was commissioned in 1877 and provided Auckland with water for the next fifty years.

It was restored to working order in 2008.

29 January 2015

W.2/700 Turbojet Engine Power Jets Ltd

Sir Frank Whittle's turbojet engine is the predecessor of almost every gas turbine in the world today. This example was built in 1943 at Whetstone and had a thrust of 2000 lb.

The vision, perseverance and achievements of Sir Frank changed air travel and with it the world.

8 May 2015

Stirling Engine

The Rev. Robert Stirling was granted a patent for his innovative engine in 1816.

This model was presented in 1827 to the University of Glasgow by Stirling and used by William Thompson, later Lord Kelvin, in his pioneering teaching and research into the fundamentals of thermodynamics.

7 December 2015

Sumburgh Head Lighthouse Foghorn

Powered by three Kelvin K Series diesel engines driving Alley & MacLellen compressors, the Foghorn sounded its seven-second blast every 90 seconds in poor visibility.

Protecting those in peril on the sea from 1906 to 1987, the restored horn blasted once again on 15 January 2015.

30 September 2016

Built by Easton, Amos & Sons of London in 1861.

This is believed to be the oldest working centrifugal pump in the UK still in its original location.

Appold's use of curved vanes gave a marked increase in pump efficiency.

2 October 2016

The oldest and largest operational fleet of narrow gauge steam locomotives in the world.

Designed by Sharp, Stewart & Co of Manchester, these locomotives have served the local population since 1889.

19 October 2016

UWC Atlantic College

X Alpha Rigid Inflatable Boat

The Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RIB) design developed at UWC Atlantic College in South Wales is in service with numerous maritime rescue organisations and navies worldwide. The unique design combines a rigid hull with an inflatable tube, enabling both speed and stability at sea and safety alongside other vessels or those in the water. In 1963 Atlantic College became an Inshore Lifeboat Station for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The RIB was developed by Atlantic College staff and students starting in 1964 led by its Headmaster Rear-Admiral Desmond Hoare. Its RIB's provided rescue coverage for the college's sailing craft and for its RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Station. The Atlantic College RIB designs were rapidly adopted by the RNLI from which it developed its highly successful Atlantic 21 and other inshore lifeboat designs responsible for saving many thousands of lives. Numerous rescue services and navies around the world have adopted the UWC Atlantic College RIB design.

30 July 2017

Stretham Old Engine

The earliest, largest and most complete survivor of the Beam Engines and Scoop Wheels which kept the Fens drained.

This 60 hp double-acting rotative Beam Engine was built by the Butterley Company in 1831 and worked for more than one hundred years.

24 September 2017

Killhope Wheel

The oldest and largest surviving William Armstrong water wheel in the world designed and manufactured by the famous Tyneside engineer at his Elswick Works.

The wheel, manufactured around 1860, is 33’ 8” (over 10 metres) in diameter and was brought to Killhope in 1877.

29 September 2017

The Dartmouth Engine

Invented by the Dartmouth engineer Thomas Newcomen, the Atmospheric Engine was the first practical steam engine. Dating from around 1760 this example is probably the world's oldest surviving.

It worked near Coventry until 1913. Three hundred years after Newcomen's birth, it was re-erected here in his hometown.

21 October 2017

Lady Victoria Colliery

The most complete example of a large 19th-century coal mine in the UK. When production commenced in 1895 The Lady had the deepest, largest diameter shaft and most powerful winding engine in the Scottish coalfields.

At her peak a labour force of 1,765 produced 2,000 tons of coal per day.

6 November 2017

The Edinburgh Modular Arm System.

The World's first Bionic Arm to incorporate a powered shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers.

The EMAS was fitted to a volunteer in 1998 who used it successfully for 18 months, paving the way for developments in prosthetics that improve lives to this day.

22 November 2017

Jesse Shirley's Bone and Flint Mill

The only remaining operational steam driven Potters' Mill in the world.

This site encompasses the whole manufacturing process for producing ground flint and bone for use by the pottery industry.

The mill was in operation from 1857 to 1972.

2 December 2017

The Daniel Adamson

The last operational coal-fired tug tender in the UK.

Launched from Birkenhead in 1903 the Danny spent the next eighty years working on the Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Her two Liverpool built steam engines and twin screws gave high manoeuvrability and power needed for work on the canal.

20 December 2017

George Dowty Internally Sprung Undercarriage Wheel

Patented by George Dowty in 1929 and first used on the Kawasaki KDA5 in 1931.

From this initial order Dowty was able to establish and expand the Dowty Group.

His legacy continues to this day with Safran Landing Systems, a world leader in aircraft landing gear.

8 March 2018

Worth Mackenzie Triple Expansion Engine

Built in Stockton-on-Tees in 1895, this engine supplied the City of Hereford with water from the River Wye for over fifty years.

Capable of pumping 4.5 million litres of water a day, it is the oldest working engine of its type in Great Britain.

18 March 2018

de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito

Designed and built at Salisbury Hall in 1940, W4050 was the first prototype of the DH.98 Mosquito.

With a lightweight structure of Spruce, Balsa and Birch Plywood,

the Mosquito's clean aerodynamic design and twin Rolls-Royce Merlin engines gave it superlative performance.

1 April 2018

1917 RAF SE5a

The SE5a fighter played a pivotal role in securing the skies over the Western Front during the First World War.

The Shuttleworth Collection's F904 was built in 1918 and served with 84 Squadron.

It is the only original airworthy example in the UK.

19 May 2018

Psyche Bend Engine and Pump System

Designed by George Chaffey MIMechE and built by Tangyes of Birmingham, England.

Psyche Bend was a key part of the pioneering Mildura irrigation scheme.

The 1000 ihp triple expansion steam engine driving four 42” centrifugal pumps was in operation from 1890 to 1959.

10 June 2018

The Levant Beam Engine

Installed in 1840 by Harvey & Company of Hayle.

This double-acting condensing rotative steam winding engine operated for 90 years, raising copper and tin ore from 278 fathoms deep.

This is the oldest surviving Harvey built engine still running under steam in its original engine house

15 June 2018

Tyseley Locomotive Works

A centre of excellence for steam locomotive engineering.

Tyseley Shed was built by the Great Western Railway in 1908 and has been in continuous use for the servicing and repair of locomotives ever since.

18 September 2018

RVH air Conditioning System

Opened in 1903, this hospital was designed around a pioneering ventilation system that fed clean air through a 400-foot long duct to the wards.

Temperature and humidity were controlled for the benefit of the hospital patients making this the first public building to be air-conditioned.

24 October 2018

Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Britain's only surviving operational railway roundhouse.

Built by the North Midland Railway in 1870 it operated continuously until 1991.

Restored by Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society in 1998 it forms the centrepiece of a modern rail maintenance facility linking Britain's industrial heritage with today's commercial railway.

8 November 2018

Castle Bromwich Assembly Plant

A World War II Shadow Factory, still showing faded green camouflage paint.

Castle Bromwich was the largest Spitfire factory, producing more than 10,000 between 1940 and 1945 in addition to 305 Lancaster bombers.

Now owned by Jaguar Cars, it continues to manufacture high quality, high-performance products.

16 November 2018

ThrustSSC Supersonic Car

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey engines with 50,000 pounds of thrust, this ten-ton car was the first to set a land speed record higher than the speed of sound. In October 1997 at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada ThrustSSC reached 763.035 miles per hour.

5 February 2019

Frogmore Paper Mill

Site of the first mechanical paper making machine, installed in 1803. The Fourdrinier machine was invented by Louis Robert and perfected by Bryan Donkin. Frogmore is the current home of PM4, the earliest paper machine built specifically for research purposes in 1902.

21 June 2019

Model Newcomen Engine

This mid 18th century model shows the University of Glasgow's innovative hands-on approach to teaching. After repairing it in the winter of 1763/4 James Watt was inspired to invent the separate condenser giving a significant improvement in steam engine efficiency. A crucial development in the Industrial Revolution.

19 August 2019

Douglasfield Boulton & Watt Engine

Erected in Dundee in 1802, this rotative steam engine incorporates James Watt's (1736-1819) inventions of the separate condenser, parallel motion, centrifugal governor and with William Murdoch, the sun and planet gear. Watt's engines gave impetus to the Industrial Revolution. This is the sole survivor to have worked in Scotland.

25 August 2019

Supermarine Spitfire K9942

Built in Woolston, Southampton in 1939 this early Mark 1 is the world's oldest surviving Spitfire. Designed by R J Mitchell, the Spitfire combined strength, lightness and streamlining with the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.

9 December 2019

Farnborough Man-Carrying Centrifuge

For 64 years (1955-2019) the British designed and manufactured man-carrying centrifuge at Farnborough was at the forefront of High-G aviation medicine research and training. Believed to be the oldest human centrifuge in the world still in its original state, it is a unique and impressive example of 1950s British engineering.

22 October 2022

The Bendigo Tramway

The oldest continuously operating electric tramway in Australia. The Depot and infrastructure were built in 1903 by the Victorian Electricity Supply Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Insulated Wire Company of Liverpool England to British Insulated Wire Co designs.

10 December 2022

Bromsgrove Railway Station

Bromsgrove Railway Station. Celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In 1846 near this spot a group of engineers decided to form an Institution to “give an impulse to inventions likely to be useful to the world.” The Institution held its first meeting in Birmingham the following year.

11 May 2022

Coombe Mill

Combe Mill is a fine example of a Victorian English estate workshop and sawmill. Restored by the Combe Mill Society volunteers, 1969-2012, it includes a beam engine and waterwheel. Combe Mill illustrates the impact of social and technological change on this rural English landscape.

21 August 2022

Celebrating the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' 175th Anniversary. An early example of monumental railway architecture, the entrance hall to the station and the Queen's Hotel. The Institution's inaugural meeting was held here on 27th January 1847. The first President, George Stephenson, was elected and the founding principles established.

24 November 2022

Installed by Appleby Bros., this is a rare example of a complete early waterworks with original compound beam pumping engine, boilers and overhead crane. This immaculately preserved steam pumping engine provided ‘on tap’ water for the first inland city of Australia from 1887.

28 May 2023

Designed by F.W Payne & Son. Built in 1938, this 4,500 ton dredge operated until 1982. MB Inc. Perak was mandated by the State Government to preserve this last remaining tin dredge in Malaysia. TT5 stands as a tribute to the once important tin industry.

23 March 2023

The first 25kV AC electric locomotive built in India, was rolled out from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in 1963. This class of broad-gauge freight locomotives were in service until 2002, contributing to India’s development. Weighing 85 tonnes, this 2840 HP locomotive could run at 80 kilometres an hour.

28 November 2023

Built by Orenstein & Koppel for the first steam monorail in India, from Sirhind to Alampur and Patiala to Sunam in Punjab. The tramway was designed by C W Bowles using the Ewing system. The locomotive operated from 1909 to around 1927, being restored in 1976.

28 November 2023

The first steam locomotive manufactured entirely in India. A metre gauge locomotive built in 1895 at Ajmer Workshop to a design by Dübs & Co. of Glasgow. It was used for mixed traffic on the Rajputana-Malwa Railway and later on the Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railways until 1958.

28 November 2023

Built in Salford, Manchester in 1914 and brought to India by the seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, for the Nizam State Railways' Lallaguda Carriage & Wagon Workshop. It retired in 1960 after nearly four decades and is still in working condition.

28 November 2023

One of the oldest working Steam Locomotives in the world. Built in 1855 in England for the East Indian Railway Co., Howrah. it was withdrawn from service in 1901 and displayed at Jamalpur and then Howrah. Used for Heritage Runs since 2010, after revival at LocoWorks, Perambur.

18 December 2023

The oldest working Metre Gauge Steam Loco with Pinions for climbing on Rack bars mounted on the steep 1 in 12.5 track. First X-Class built by Swiss Locomotive & Machine Works, Winterthur. The Locomotive is in working condition and used for heritage runs.

18 December 2023

The last surviving prototype vehicle of Frederick Lanchester’s pioneering experiments in petrol-electric hybrid motorcars built in Birmingham in 1927. This foreshadowed modern automotive practice and arose from work to build a car for ‘everyman’. Lanchester, a serial inventor, made important contributions in automotive and aeronautical engineering.

13 March 2023

The last of eight beam engines that hauled wagons up the inclines of the Cromford & High Peak Railway connecting the Cromford and Peak Forest Canals. Built by the Butterley Company in 1829, used until the railway closed in 1967 and still operational today.

26 March 2024