Geograph - photograph every grid square

Birmingham's science and technology museum is home to the world's oldest operable steam engine, built by Boulton & Watt in 1779 to pump water for the Birmingham Canal Navigation at Smethwick. This engine has seen four homes spread over parts of four centuries. The cylinder and valve gear are not original but represent an important early phase in steam engine evolution. The engine can be moved hydraulically but is shown in steam occasionally. Steam operation is limited in deference to its age and rarity.