The Development of steam engines in The Netherlands (1750-1885)

Veen, Jan van de, The Development of steam engines in The Netherlands (1750-1885), Transactions of the 2nd International Early Engines Conference, Volume 2, IEEC & ISSES, 2023 [ISBN: 9781872986258/ISSN: ISSES, Stationary Power v.25 0960-0663], pp.155-182 doi:10.54267/ieec2-2-10

This paper gives an impression of the developments made in using steam as a source of power in the Netherlands from 1750-1885. Without a substantial national engineering industry, early steam engines had to be imported from England and were mainly used for land drainage stations (stoomgemaal). As a maritime nation sending merchant ships all over the world, and where wind power by traditional windmills was well developed, there was little initial interest in the atmospheric engine innovations of Thomas Newcomen from 1712. Later, Dutch philosophers like Steven Hoogendijk (1698-1788), together with other fellows of the Batavian Society, promoted scientific developments and the application of steam engines in particular. Nevertheless it took a further sixty years (1776) before the first atmospheric engine (vuurmachine) was built in Rotterdam. It did not turn out to be a success, but a second engine built shortly afterwards performed well and further installations followed.

For access see Volume 2 of the Transactions of the 2nd International Early Engines Conference