The Story of Iron, Coal and Steam.

Meanwhile, yet another story was taking place. Without it, the first three stories would never have taken place. This is the story of cheaper iron and coal. It is also the story of steam power.

Steam engines use coal to heat water and create steam. The pressure of that steam is used to move a piston. In 1766, a Scottish engineer called James Watt made big improvements in the design of steam engines so that they would be more powerful and burn less coal.

In 1781, James Watt found a way of getting a steam engine to turn a wheel.

Steam engines could now be used in factories instead of water wheels.

This steam engine was made possible because of two big developments.

DEVELOPMENT 1 - New way of making iron.

In 1709, a man called Abraham Darby found a way of making cast-iron using coke. Coke is made from coal. This was a big breakthrough. Iron had always been made from charcoal. By the 18th century, charcoal was becoming scarce and expensive. In 1784, Henry Cort invented a new way mathod of making wrough-iron in a huge coal fire-fired furnace. So it became cheaper to make iron. Well-made iron machinery was essential for the machinery used in the factories.

DEVELOPMENT 2 - A new role for coal.

The new factories depended on coal. It was coal that fuelled the steam engines and the iron foundries.