Welcome to David Hulse Steam Engines a website featuring models of steam engines built in the eighteenth century that paved the way for the industrial revolution. Featuring engines by Thomas Newcomen, James Watt, James Pickard, Matthew Wasborough, Francis Thompson, Adam Heslop and Richard Trevithick, all manufactured by David Hulse.
In 1970 I started a project which was to occupy all my spare time for the next 45 years. I have researched and constructed in miniature the important steam engines which were built in the eighteenth century.
These engines paved the way for the industrial revolution in the British Isles and which spread to many other countries throughout the world. These eighteenth century engines are usually grouped together and called steam engines, however, they were not steam engines. Steam was used as a means of creating a vacuum against which the earth’s pressure could act. The correct terminology is that they were atmospheric engines.
As you progress through this website, the engines you will see are all made from exactly the samematerials which would have been available to the engineers of the eighteenth- century.
The engine houses are built from real bricks at a reduced scale of 1/16 the full size. In order to complete the buildings to house the engines 151,000 ceramic bricks were used and, all were made on a specially designed miniature brick machine.
All the metal parts were either machined from solid metal or made by hand forging in my home workshop, this gave the appearance of having been made by the engineers of the eighteenth-century.
For all of you who missed the news article that ITV ran about my Steam Engines then just Click Here!
Before retiring I was employed as the Chief Development Engineer for the Royal Doulton group of potteries and it was this use of ceramics which gave me the knowledge to make the parts that are not commercially available to model engineers. A start will now be made by describing the brick making because without an economical way of producing the bricks none of these engines I have researched would have been made:
The Arnold Mill Engine is my favourite. It was very interesting meeting you today and hear about your work. Will definitely go into have a look next time we are in Dartmouth. Just love the little bricks!
David Hulse copied from my email wrote on February 7, 2026
Mechanical Wonders
JD
To: david.hulse
01/02/2026 15:46
1
Dear David,
I do not expect to be remembered but that does not matter
I visited your house twice with the visits organised by Sally Davison from the Centre for Midlands History at Birmingham University. I had to repeat the visit because I was so overwhelmed by what I saw and learned the first time.
My wife treated me to a late Christmas present at your house by buying me a copy 158 of Mechanical Wonders. I felt I ought to write and tell you how much I have enjoyed this book and far more than just enjoyment, the book is full of detailed accounts of a time when there were momentous improvements in technology. The historical research is superb and your respect for this great line of engineers shines through on every page and furthermore, your own research is clearly following in that great tradition.
I dip into the book regularly and the text, line drawings, line illustrations and historical images bring this important story to life.
Thank you so much, a truly superb book based on a lifetime of research and craftsmanship. I only hope that the visitors to Dartmouth enjoy your models and book as much as I did.
My best wishes
John
John Davis
David Hulse from my guest book wrote on February 1, 2026
Mechanical Wonders
JD
To: david.hulse
01/02/2026 15:46
1
Dear David,
I do not expect to be remembered but that does not matter
I visited your house twice with the visits organised by Sally Davison from the Centre for Midlands History at Birmingham University. I had to repeat the visit because I was so overwhelmed by what I saw and learned the first time.
My wife treated me to a late Christmas present at your house by buying me a copy 158 of Mechanical Wonders. I felt I ought to write and tell you how much I have enjoyed this book and far more than just enjoyment, the book is full of detailed accounts of a time when there were momentous improvements in technology. The historical research is superb and your respect for this great line of engineers shines through on every page and furthermore, your own research is clearly following in that great tradition.
I dip into the book regularly and the text, line drawings, line illustrations and historical images bring this important story to life.
Thank you so much, a truly superb book based on a lifetime of research and craftsmanship. I only hope that the visitors to Dartmouth enjoy your models and book as much as I did.
My best wishes
John
John Davis
Dear David,
On behalf of Stone Lions ,we would like to thank you for your visual and verbal presentation on 23rd October. We apologise for the delay but we have been trying to find your Email address.
Everyone was in awe at your expert capabilities and thoroughly enjoyed it.
All have confirmed that on the next visit to the Dartmouth area, a visit to the Museum is essential.
Kind regards and hoping you are still recovering well after your accident.
Syl Robinson
Stone Lions Social secretary
Hi Dave, Doesn't seem that long since the Service(eng)limited days, only 60 years !! still remember you telling us how you cast the twin leading shoe front brake back plate for your Gold Star by 'adapting' your parents Agar whilst they were out, and we won't mention what happened to piece of 15mm copper pipe that ran down the wall by the side of your drawing board, I can think of more anecdotes but I don't think I should repeat them.
I haven't seen these scale reincarnation in the flesh but from the pictures and video they look outstanding, congratulations.
Have you ever watched another talented engineer, Alan Millyard on Facebook ?
Best Regards
Howard
A truly remarkable collection of scaled machines made by an even more remarkable man. Your ability to produce these long extinct machines from such little documentation is staggering. My brother sent me the link to your website after visiting Dartmouth museum yesterday, I have got to go and see them for myself now. I am definitely feeling I have under achieved in my life after hearing about your work. I can't help but wonder what you may be making whilst I am writing this. Do you let anyone view your workshop nowadays?
Thank you so much for your wonderful models which I saw for the first time yesterday in the Dartmouth Museum. An astonishing achievement and lesson for us all in how to use our time to good effect.
Hi David
What a fantastic exhibition of your scale models of steam engines. The young engineers of today should see these and they would appreciate your expertise and skill as I was.
Dear David, Your book arrived today. So much for the weekend. Are plans for any of your engines available ? These engines have been neglected by history , good to see that changing. Regards Alan
