Sometimes a couple of enthusiasts turn up and start up the big red steam engine at the Science Museum. It’s usually around lunchtime. Generally when I’m there they stop it just as I finish lunch and all I see is it slowing down. But not today! Call me a bit of a dag but I really love this big red steam engine. So much so that I videoed it and posted it for your delectation.
After standing around gawping with the rest of the blokes, I set off up to level three for this week’s foray into the galleries. This week it was computing. But don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with a lot of nerdy computer stuff. To be fair, I think I’ve already gone on about the Pegasus. So, when it came to grabbing a photo, I decided on this chap.
William Symington (1763-1831)
This is William Symington and he built the first practical steamboat. While his initial design and test boat were equally heralded with success and failure (differing reports of the same event for some reason), his full sized boat was ordered and then tested on the Clyde. It went well at first but when they started to build up steam, the big wheels started to break up, threatening to leave it dead in the water.
Back at the drawing board, Symington, not one to give up, had another go. This time things went a lot better. He guaranteed himself a place in not only the history books but also my blog. What a guy.
