Talk:Steam power during the Industrial Revolution

Errors and repeats

This article merely repeats, mostly word for word, part of the steam engine section in the "Industrial Revolution" article. This is not right. It should have more detail, and not just repeat. Moreover, the article is wrong in two places on the matter of high pressure steam. Essentially all of Watt's commercial engines were atmospheric, i.e. used steam at low pressures. And it is not true that "Richard Trevithick, a Cornish blacksmith, was the first to use high pressure steam 1799," because the first to use high pressure steam in a commercial engine was Savery, as actually noted in the first part of the article. DonSiano 14:58, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

It would seem that this has now become the main article, complementary to the Industrial Revolution article. Quite justified IMO. I think however that the latter's Steam Power section should now be shorter and in the form of a resumé of what is here.

Watt's first prototype Soho engine that launched commercialisation was certainly not "atmospheric", nor were those that followed. Ultra-low steam pressure combined with a vacuum still amounts to a steam pressure-differential engine - atmospheric pressure played no part in its workings. As for Richard Trevithick, he is important as an early proponent and and the first to successfully use what was then called "Strong steam" at higher pressure (not very at about 40-50 pounds-force against the atmoshere throughout the cycle) and surely the first to successfully apply it. The other pioneer of strong steam Oliver Evans, ultimately failed to do so due to being plagued by successive catastrophic boiler explosions (Trevithick had at least one), confirming Watt's fears.--John of Paris 09:09, 8 September 2007 (UTC)