Bringing the Elsecar Newcomen engine back to life

South Yorkshire Industrial History Society – Annual Joseph Bramah Lecture

Geoff Wallis, well-known conservation and restoration consultant engineer, and past president of the Newcomen Society will be giving the Annual Joseph Bramah Lecture on 14th March 2016, as part of the Barnsley section of the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society’s programme.

The lecture, entitled Bringing the Elsecar Newcomen engine back to life, starts at 7pm at the Cooper Gallery in Barnsley. It will deal with the recent successful conservation project on Elsecar’s 1795 Newcomen engine – the oldest steam engine still in situ over its original working shaft.

The lecture will cover the challenges and insights over the course of the Industry and Innovation project led by Barnsley Museums and funded by the English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work included engineering and archaeological survey work, restoration and a complete reinterpretation of the engine and its connection with the wider industrial community of Elsecar.

Geoff was lead consulting engineer on the work to conserve and restore the Newcomen type engine at Elsecar and his lecture will be a fascinating insight into the story of this amazing piece of industrial history.