The steam engine powering the looms of the Queen Street MIll Textile Museum in Burnley,Lancashire,the steam is in the red pipe


Queen Street Mill Textile Museum run the last cotton mill in the World powered by a huge steam engine. At one time it powered over 1000 cotton weaving looms. Now it still powers 300 looms. Lancashire cotton cloth was exported all over the globe and fueled the UK's industrial revolution. The steam engine called PEACE runs from 2 gigantic boilers underneath the engine and it drives a gigantic fly wheel that operates by turning iron shafts which link with straps to the looms. When it is running the noise is deafening and visitors must wear ear protectors, though the works never used them, so many went deaf. They still weave cotton, but now the mill is mainly a wonderful tourist attraction and is used by film companies and TV dramas. The coke fired boilers require 2 tonnes of coal a day and the stokers shovel it all in by hand. The mill was also unique because it was run as a sort of co-operative and owned by the people of Harle Syke on the outskirts of Burnley in Lancashire. It is jointly owned now by Burnley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council


Size: 4750px × 3563px
Location: Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, Harle Syke, Burnley ,Lancashire, England
Photo credit: © Brenda Kean / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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