Steam navvy

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Steam navvy

Steam navvy used to make the new dock at Swansea. By the late nineteenth century, chores traditionally done by workmen were being performed by steam engines

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Media ID 4361518

© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10216209

1881 22nd Chores Dock Engines Navvy Performed Swansea Traditionally Work Men

EDITORS COMMENTS
October 1881: A Steam Navvy at Work on Swansea's New Dock This evocative photograph captures the backbreaking labor of a steam navvy as he toils to extend Swansea's dock in the late nineteenth century. The steam navvy was a new addition to the dockyard scene, as traditional chores once performed by workmen were increasingly being taken over by steam engines. By this time, the industrial revolution had transformed the way that docks were built and operated. Steam-powered cranes, dredgers, and other machinery had already made significant inroads into dock work, but the construction of new docks still required the manual labor of navvies to excavate the land and shape the dock walls. The steam navvy in this image is shown operating a steam-powered shovel, which was used to move large quantities of earth and rock. The steam engine, located off to the side, provided the power to operate the shovel's pistons and rods. The navvy's task was to load the shovel with soil, which was then transported to the dockside to be used to build up the land. The photograph was taken on the 22nd of October, 1881, and is a testament to the hard work and determination of the men who built and maintained the docks during this period. The steam navvy's role was a crucial one, as the expansion of docks was essential for the import and export of goods, which fueled the growth of industries and cities. This photograph is a historical record of a bygone era, when the power of steam engines began to transform the way that labor-intensive tasks were performed. It is a reminder of the ingenuity and perseverance of the workers who built and operated the docks, and the vital role they played in the economic and industrial development of Swansea and other port towns during the late nineteenth century.

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