Mr Monkey trotted into the original engine house, where he saw two pumping engines which made the ones in the Steam Hall look rather small. The 65 inch engine made by Maudslay Sons and Field of Lambeth was built in 1838 and was the first engine installed at Kew, though it was extensively rebuilt during its working life. Next to it Mr Monkey saw the Bull engine built by Harvey & Co. in 1856-7. Bull engines take up less space because they don't have beams, but they were less efficient and ran less smoothly.
You can read about Cornish beam engines at the BBC website.
Return to Mr Monkey at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey.