Coal, Steam, and Iron

Ingredients for an Industrial Revolution

Coal

The Iron Age started 3000BCE

Iron was first made from iron ore and charcoal.

The process used huge amounts of wood for fuel and helped deplete forests near populated areas.

It took until the 18th century to make iron with coal

Now iron could be made in larger amounts

Iron was used to produce machines that replaced human labor

Increased demand for iron meant increased demand for coal

But, back at the coal mine…

Greater demand for coal to make more iron meant mining to new depths

Problem…how to keep mines from flooding

Solution to flooded mines…

The Newcomen pump

used a wood fire to power a large piston that pumped water from the mines.

Later, coal was used to fuel the fire

The ability to pump water from mines increased coal production.

Needed more coal to run the pumps

More coal meant more iron could be produced

Sixty years later, James Watt made changes that lead to the steam engine

Watts adapted his steam pump for other uses

The steam engine was used to mine more and more coal

Rising demand for coal to make more iron

Rising demand for iron to make more engines and other machinery

Lead to….

… a Transportation Bottleneck

Wooden railways The first railways in Great Britain were built

in the early 17th century, mainly for transporting coal from the mine to the water where it could be loaded on to a boat. These had wooden rails. However, the rails wore out and had to be replaced often. In 1768, the Coalbrookdale Company laid cast iron plates on such wooden rails to provide a more durable surface. The wooden “trains” were pulled by horses.

With modifications from others, Watt’s steam engine began a new era in transportation

The Bottleneck was opened.

The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in September 1830 was one of the key events of 19th century England. It was the first railway, which used steam locomotives, and the first to link two major cities

The steam engine railroad was an instant success and the age of railroad building began

Coal

Iron

Railroads

The demand for each depended on availability of the others.

All three were necessary for industrialization