We just learned about the Newcomen Engine.
Another part of steam engine history is Rotative Beam Engine.
After the Newcomen Engine was built, people worked to make it even better.
In the old types of engines, the big rod that was moved by the steam was just pushed up and down.
For a rotative beam engine, one end of the beam uses a type of crank or gear to spin a wheel around.
This moving wheel could be used as a wheel to paddle a boat, or a wheel to move a train.
(from: wikipedia - beam engine)
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