0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is Absolute Genius.
0:00:03 > 0:00:08So sit down, buckle up and get ready for take-off!
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Each show will introduce you to a different genius.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16An amazing person, who had a genius idea which shaped the world.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And they will inspire us to come up with
0:00:19 > 0:00:22our own genius idea at the end of each show.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23But will it be any good?
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- Will it be any good? It will be... - BOTH:- ..Absolute Genius!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33On today's show, we get all hot and steamy.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Go up and close and personal with great engines of power.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39And find out all about horsepower.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43- From the four-legged kind... - To the four-wheeled kind.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45HE SQUEALS
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'Three...two...one, lift-off!'
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Today, we bring to you a man who had a very special kind of genius.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27He took an invention that had been around for more than 50 years,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29the steam engine, and made it a shed-load better.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Yeah, he also made a shed-load of cash.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33So good was he that you can still find his face
0:01:33 > 0:01:34on a 50 quid note, look.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And, AND also the first letter of his surname
0:01:37 > 0:01:41you will find stamped on pretty much every light bulb around the house.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Ladies and gentlemen, we give you...
0:01:43 > 0:01:45..James Watt!
0:01:45 > 0:01:46All right, boys!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Yes, indeed, and inspired by James Watt's genius,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52we'll be coming up with our own genius idea later on.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Yes, we'll be steaming in with a very special kind of challenge.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58- Pull the lever! - I haven't put the engine on!
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Pull the lever? You idiot!
0:02:00 > 0:02:02But now I think it's only fair to find out a little bit
0:02:02 > 0:02:05more about said man in wig.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06That's me.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10James Watt was born in 1736 in Greenock, Scotland.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The story goes that as a boy he was fascinated by the steam
0:02:14 > 0:02:17pouring out of a boiling kettle.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19When he grew up, he became a mechanical engineer
0:02:19 > 0:02:23and started to eagerly explore how steam engines worked.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29James Watt's genius was to take the steam engine,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32an invention that had been round for many years, and make it
0:02:32 > 0:02:36work better and more efficiently than anyone else had managed.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And make himself a shed-load of money in the process.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Watt's engines were the first to power big machines in factories,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46paving the way for the Industrial Revolution.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Now, 250 years ago, when Watt was just a young man,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55steam engines looked very different to how you might imagine.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The engines back then still needed someone to shovel
0:02:58 > 0:03:00the coal, like fireman Hugh here.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But they didn't look as gorgeous as this lovely steam locomotive.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Did they, Dick? WHISTLE TOOTS
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Oi! Get down!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Sorry, I was just hooting the whistle.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13You are silly, aren't you?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17You see, locos like this were still a dream
0:03:17 > 0:03:19when Watt was learning his stuff.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This was a long time before steam trains were even invented.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Back then, in the early 1700s,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31most steam engines were either too big or too heavy to put on wheels.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I mean, you couldn't even fit one in a decent-sized house.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Just like this.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Meet genius expert Mike Dunn.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43He knows everything you need to know about the kind of steam
0:03:43 > 0:03:47engines that were around before James Watt came along.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Hi, Mike.- Hi, Mike.- Hello there. - How are you doing?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It's noisy in here, isn't it?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- It is a bit. - What is this?
0:03:55 > 0:04:00This is an example of the first steam engine in the world.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Right.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03This is a Newcomen steam engine.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06They were used to pump water out of mines
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and were invented nearly 25 years before James Watt was even born.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- So, how does it work? - It's like a big kettle.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17We boil 400 gallons of water and then we produce lots of steam
0:04:17 > 0:04:21from that boiling water which we put into that cylinder.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Once it's in the cylinder, we squirt some cold water in
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and we change the steam back to water.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30OK, what's its purpose, what does it do?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- Well, if you look up, you can see the great beam at the top?- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The other end of that great beam, there's a rod that goes
0:04:37 > 0:04:41right the way down into the ground to the mine shaft.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And that pumps the water out of the ground
0:04:43 > 0:04:46so the miners can get to the coal.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Oh, so it's a big water pump?- Oh, OK.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Like all steam engines,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52it needs a really hot fire to heat the water in the boiler.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And we're going to make this fire even hotter.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Right, lads, when we open the door, we can get a blowback,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02that's flames coming out of the furnace.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04So we just have to be a little bit careful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Right, we'll stand back then. - That's a good idea.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- Whoa!- Wow, that's hot.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Hand down there. One at the back.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Your body stops still and then do that,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- the shovel stops, and the coal carries on.- OK, got you.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Right, still body, swinging back.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- Swinging back. And...like that? - Good lad!
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I can't believe how hot that is.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Oh, sorry, Mike!
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- In there like that! - Is that a good one?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41That'll do. You need a bit of practice.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43How often do you have to re-stoke the fire?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45We make up the fire on one side
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and then, after about eight minutes, we make up the other side.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- You have to shovel coal in every eight minutes?- Yes.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53How much coal do you get through in a day?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55These engines work 24 hours.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You're talking two to three tonnes.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And that was the drawback of this type of steam engine.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It used so much coal and wasn't very efficient.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Now, you see, Watt had his first bit of genius inspiration
0:06:07 > 0:06:11when he was given a small Newcomen engine to repair.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Yeah, and while he was doing this, he came up with an idea for his
0:06:14 > 0:06:18own steam engine that would be even better than the Newcomen engine.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Hang on a minute. Backtrack a bit.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I'm having problems just piecing it all together anyway.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Yeah, me too. How does something as flimsy as steam move big
0:06:27 > 0:06:30slabs of metal about like we saw with the steam engine?
0:06:30 > 0:06:31Yeah, I know.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34If only Fran, our resident genius scientist, was here to tell us...
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Hey!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42This is Fran. She just loves experimenting...
0:06:44 > 0:06:48..to help explain the ideas of our geniuses.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50And she's sure to pop up just when you really need her.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Fancy meeting you here.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55We're still struggling on how the steam engine works.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I thought you might be because it is quite complicated.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But I've got something that might help. Come with me.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Really weird, isn't it, the way she's always...?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Well, boys, when you heat up water enough, some of that water
0:07:08 > 0:07:11turns into a gas, and it's that gas that's steam.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15And steam, just like any gas, wants to spread out as much as it can
0:07:15 > 0:07:17so it pushes on all the stuff around us.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21And that's all a steam engine does. It puts that push to good use.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- So, what's this then? - This is my model of a steam engine.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Doesn't look like a steam engine.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Well, we've got a sealed chamber at the bottom
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and a movable plunger at the top.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- So, this plunger's like the piston or something?- Yeah, exactly!
0:07:33 > 0:07:36And we've got a little bit of water in the bottom.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I'll heat up that water. Some of it will turn into steam.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41And let's just see what happens.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Goggles on.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Wa-hey! Look at that.- Good work!
0:07:52 > 0:07:56'When the heated water turns to steam, it pushes the plunger up.'
0:07:58 > 0:08:00'And when the steam cools and turns back to water,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03'the plunger returns to where it was.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:05There it goes! Look!
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Yes, it's going down!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09All right, Fran, I understand how steam
0:08:09 > 0:08:12is making a little plastic plunger go up and down.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15But surely it's not the same principle that moves
0:08:15 > 0:08:18a steam engine made out of massive bits of metal?
0:08:18 > 0:08:19Yeah, it is.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And the same pushes and pulls can move something as strong as metal.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- And I've got something to prove it. - Bonus!
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Prove it! Go on, then. Prove it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30So, over here,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I have got a can that's got a little bit of water in it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36And that water is boiling away and producing lots of steam.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38But in a moment, I'm going to seal that can
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and then cool it really quickly.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Ah, right, so when you cool the steam really quickly
0:08:43 > 0:08:46it will turn back into water and cause some kind of pushing motion.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Yeah, just like that plunger on that model steam engine.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Fran's an expert. This is not something to be messed with at home.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57OK, I'm going to dunk it in this iced water here.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Let's cool it down as quickly as possible.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00So dump that ice on it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04- More ice. More ice, more ice!- Pop it on top.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- Arrgh!- Brilliant!
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Look at that! That's amazing!
0:09:09 > 0:09:10You have proved it, Fran!
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'That sudden cooling of the can turned the steam
0:09:16 > 0:09:19back into water really quickly
0:09:19 > 0:09:24creating a force strong enough to crush metal.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Later, we learn all about horsepower,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30another of Watt's genius ideas.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36And we get stuck into some serious engineering for our genius idea.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Right, that's it! Argh!
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But back to James Watt and his genius ideas
0:09:42 > 0:09:43for improving steam engines.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46As we've seen, these engines were a new way of getting
0:09:46 > 0:09:49lots of power 250 years ago.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52But they used an incredible amount of coal as fuel.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54That wasted lots of energy.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57It's a bit like having all the radiators on in your house
0:09:57 > 0:09:58with the windows wide open.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Aye, they were just throwing money away.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Watt reckoned he could do a lot better.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08So he invented his own steam engine.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11And if you want to see what he came up with
0:10:11 > 0:10:13then there's no better place than this.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17The Crofton Pumping Station in Wiltshire.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Here we are, and there's the pumping station over there.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22But you're probably wondering, what's it all for?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Back in Watt's day, this was a very important place.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28And the fact it's bang next to this canal, that's no accident as well.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Here's another genius helper to tell us why.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Meet Watt steam engine expert Jon Willis.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Hello, Jon. Can you tell us what the pumping station does?
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Every time a boat comes down here it uses an awful lot of water
0:10:44 > 0:10:45and that water has to be replaced.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So the pump pumps it back up to the top of the hill.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50All right, OK, so because gravity takes water down a hill,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54the pumping station pumps it back up so the boat can carry on?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Yes, that's right. - Can we see inside?- Certainly.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59All right, after you. Don't fall in!
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Watt's engines were a lot more fuel efficient,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05but we've still got to shovel a load of coal.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Doing it for the boys, aren't you?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Look at that lovely Lancashire boiler!
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- You having a good day, mate? - Yeah, good stuff, all right.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Know what I mean?
0:11:19 > 0:11:24'This boiler holds an astonishing 18,000 litres of water.'
0:11:24 > 0:11:26HE SCREAMS
0:11:26 > 0:11:28'And that can make a lot of steam.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33'It's very hot! But, hey, who cares, we're dancing!'
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Argh!
0:11:41 > 0:11:45That means one thing. Kettle's brewed.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46It's time for a tea! Come on.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I didn't expect that.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54But you do need a lot of steam for this piece of Watt genius.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Here we are at the top of the cylinder,
0:11:56 > 0:11:57which is a great long tube.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01It's about two metres long and inside it is a big piston.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03The steam that we've been producing downstairs
0:12:03 > 0:12:05makes this go up and down inside the cylinder.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- That's right. - And pumps the water out.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10How do you control the steam that comes in?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12The steam comes from the boiler.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It comes under the floor and comes up through this valve.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- And we're just about ready to start the engine.- Oh, OK.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21I just need to ask the driver. Driver, are you ready?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Open number one stop valve, please.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Twelve turns anti-clockwise.
0:12:26 > 0:12:33Here we go, driver! One...two...three...
0:12:33 > 0:12:36He can't actually count to 12. This might be difficult.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41..five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Do I have to say anything?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Tell the driver that you've opened it.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- Number one, stop valve open. - DRIVER:- Thank you.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51No problem. Sounds nice, doesn't she?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Doesn't she sound lovely!- Ah!
0:12:53 > 0:12:58- Look at that! - Big bit of kit.- Hot steam!
0:12:58 > 0:13:01This is great British engineering at its best, isn't it?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Absolutely. And this is 200 years old and it's still working.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Still working perfectly.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'Yes, these pistons and cylinder rods need to be perfectly engineered
0:13:10 > 0:13:14'because they've got to work this six-tonne iron beam above.'
0:13:14 > 0:13:16So we've already seen the pistons
0:13:16 > 0:13:18working down that end, moving it all.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20But what happens down that end?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23That end has the pump on. The pump which pumps the water.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But the real genius of this place is round here.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29What we're looking at here is James Watt's separate condenser -
0:13:29 > 0:13:31his most important invention.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The original engine by Thomas Newcomen,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37you had to heat up the cylinder and cool it down,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40every time the engine works, every stroke,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43heat it up, cool down, which is incredibly inefficient.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46And what James Watt did, he said, "I'll leave that bit hot
0:13:46 > 0:13:48"and I'll put the cold bit in here."
0:13:48 > 0:13:51So his condenser was actually under the water in here.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- OK, so the engine stays hot all the time?- That's right.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Saving money! Genius.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59So even though it doesn't look much, this is his real genius.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02In fact, Watt's brilliant separate condenser
0:14:02 > 0:14:07meant his steam engines used 75% less coal than other engines.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11His engines were also more powerful.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Together, that meant they could be used to power
0:14:14 > 0:14:18all sorts of different machines in factories across the world. Genius!
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Aye, it was pretty clever, wasn't it?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And there it is. Look, you can see what the engine is actually doing.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Every stroke of the engine pumps out one tonne of water into this channel
0:14:29 > 0:14:31which sends it all the way along there
0:14:31 > 0:14:34up to the hill and eventually it joins the canal.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Which means the canal never runs out of water.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Thanks to James Watt we can now take a ride on a canal boat.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I'm going to be the captain and you, you silly little man,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48are going to open the lock gates. Enjoy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51But we've never done this before. I don't know what to do.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Er... Ah.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Takes him ages, He's only got little legs. Faster!
0:14:58 > 0:15:01TRAIN TOOTS Oi, it's all kicking off.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04'If only Watt had invented a machine to open lock gates.'
0:15:04 > 0:15:07We ain't got all day. We're nearly there, look.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13- Right.- It's hard work this.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14Oh, shut up!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17HE GRUNTS
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Having a nice day out. Close them then, come on.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25He's going to get such a slap.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30'Now, it's not just canal pumping stations
0:15:30 > 0:15:32'that steam is very useful for.'
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- It's the Genius Top Five.- Five.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39The steam train, still going strong 200 years after it was invented.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Four. The steam cooker. A great way to cook Chinese dumplings.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Hmm. Yum, yum!
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Three. Steam baths.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51The Romans loved them and they're still being used today.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Two. The paddle steamer.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56A lovely way to take a trip down a river.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58One. The steam robot.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Yes, people actually build these!
0:16:01 > 0:16:03- ROBOTS:- Ex-STEAM-inate! Ha-ha!
0:16:03 > 0:16:08We've found out that 250 years ago James Watt invented a steam engine
0:16:08 > 0:16:12that was much better than anything anyone else had come up with.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Later in the show, we'll be coming up with our own genius challenge
0:16:16 > 0:16:18inspired by the great man.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21But Watt's genius was about more than just clever machines.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25You see, even though Watt had invented
0:16:25 > 0:16:26this amazing new steam engine
0:16:26 > 0:16:29he had to convince other people that it was worth buying.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33He'd proved that his steam engine was better than other steam engines.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36But was this form of power cheaper than other options
0:16:36 > 0:16:41- available at the time? - Like the power of the horse.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- All right, Billy. - Right, on we get.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Back in Watt's time, horses did a lot of the jobs that
0:16:47 > 0:16:49machines do for us today.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51So Watt had to try and prove that his steam engines
0:16:51 > 0:16:54could do everything that a horse could.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So he needed a scientific way of working out exactly
0:16:57 > 0:17:00the amount of work a horse could do in any given period of time.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03His answer was to come up with a measurement of power
0:17:03 > 0:17:05that we still use today - horsepower.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Come on then, Billy!- Giddy up! - Giddy up!
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Are you having a nice time? - It's quite slow, isn't it?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15# Why do only fools and horses work? #
0:17:15 > 0:17:17In those days, one of the jobs horses did
0:17:17 > 0:17:19was to lift coal out of coal mines.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24Watt worked out that your average horse could shift 150 kilos of coal
0:17:24 > 0:17:28up a mine shaft a distance of 30 metres over one minute.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30He called that one horsepower.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35So once our horse Billy here is moving us along,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38he's using James Watt's measurement of power, horsepower.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42But because it's a slow walking speed and not uphill,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I reckon Billy here is only using half of one horsepower.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It's, er, not very fast, is it?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- Stop, Billy. Stop, stop, stop. - For goodness' sake, stop it.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I think we need something with a lot more horsepower.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02I know what you're saying Where are we going? Monte Carlo?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Brands Hatch? - No. Bedfordshire.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I love Bedfordshire!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Welcome to Bedford Autodrome. We still use horsepower today
0:18:15 > 0:18:17to measure the performance of any engine,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21whether it's in a lawn mower or racing cars like these.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26If you want a lot of horsepower then you need something like this!
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Come on!
0:18:29 > 0:18:35This Jaguar racing car can get to a top speed of 167 miles per hour.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Yeah, that's cos it's got an incredibly powerful engine.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42265 horsepower!
0:18:43 > 0:18:47'So what does all that horsepower feel like?
0:18:47 > 0:18:49'There's only one way to find out.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Oh, my...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56HE SQUEALS AND SHRIEKS
0:19:00 > 0:19:02HE SQUAWKS
0:19:02 > 0:19:05'This is terrifyingly fast. These engines are way more powerful
0:19:05 > 0:19:07'than anything from Watt's day.'
0:19:14 > 0:19:19'As we literally scream round this track at nearly 140 miles per hour,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'the force against my body is incredible.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:35'After three laps, we've taken just about as much as we can handle.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Seriously, that was one of the maddest things I've ever done.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48It blows any roller coaster out of the water, that.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It was just the speed, wasn't it?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54The speed! It was so fast!
0:19:54 > 0:19:58It was so fast!
0:19:59 > 0:20:03It's not just engine power where our genius James Watt left his mark.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Oh, no. We use his very name, Watt,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08as a way of measuring electrical power.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12For example the bulb inside here, it's a 60 watt.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And our cameraman Pat is using a lamp there
0:20:15 > 0:20:17that's 40 watts of power
0:20:17 > 0:20:18so that you can see us.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22So there you go. When it comes to measuring power, Watt is your man.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- Genius!- WATT?!
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Inventing new ways of measuring how powerful machines were,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30helped James Watt sell lots of his steam engines.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32That made him a lot of money.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35But some people have a knack for losing money.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It's the Not So Genius Idea.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44In 2009, an Israeli woman decided to surprise her mum by buying
0:20:44 > 0:20:46her a new mattress for her bed.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50She threw out the old mattress, but then found out afterwards
0:20:50 > 0:20:54that her mum had hidden 1 million inside it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57That's about £700,000.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00She went back to the rubbish tip to look for the old mattress.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03But it had gone, along with all that lovely cash.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05A not so genius surprise present!
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Oh, Mamma mia!
0:21:11 > 0:21:13So Watt invented brilliant steam engines
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and also horsepower as his way of measuring the power of his engines.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20But for our genius idea I think we need to use steam engines
0:21:20 > 0:21:22to increase our own horsepower.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Yeah, yeah. I could strap a steam engine to my back?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27No, no. Too hot.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Too dangerous. It'll burn you, won't it?
0:21:29 > 0:21:33I've got it! Wouldn't it be amazing
0:21:33 > 0:21:35if there was a steam workshop behind these concertina doors.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Oh, yes.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40- HE GRUNTS - Oh, they're heavy.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Meet genius engine builder Grant Cooper. He's going to help us
0:21:47 > 0:21:49turn our genius idea into reality.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Hello, Grant, how are you doing? - Not too bad.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55We've come up with this idea that we want to try
0:21:55 > 0:21:59and increase our horsepower with the help of a steam engine.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02But how much horsepower can we produce individually?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05A single person can produce about a quarter of a horsepower.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07OK, so quarter for me, quarter for you.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- Together we could produce one half of a horsepower?- Exactly.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14This is like a wonderland of bits of bobs. It's incredible.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Have you got anything here
0:22:15 > 0:22:18that we could use that would increase our horsepower?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Well, we've been working on a project a while back.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I think we used a tandem bike in that.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- So if we have a search around, I'm sure we can dig one out.- Cool!
0:22:26 > 0:22:28A tandem bike, right. So if we got on a tandem bike
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and pedalled really, really fast as well,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33we could possibly produce one horsepower?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I think it's certainly possible,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- but there's only one to find that out.- Find that tandem.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40So our genius idea
0:22:40 > 0:22:44is to customise a tandem, a bike built for two people.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47We're going to stick a steam engine on the back.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49With the steam engine boosting our pedalling,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53our horsepower should be increased.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Let's find out just how fast we can go.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- There we are, tandem.- Random tandem.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- Random tandem. - What's that?- I don't know.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08'Because our steam engine will add weight to
0:23:08 > 0:23:11'the back of the tandem, our first job is to put stabilisers on.'
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Right! That's it! Arrgh!
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'Next, the boiler.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- That's amazing.- Lovely.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20That needs to fit on just there.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Fiddly. Very fiddly.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Use your fingers first. Get it in there.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27And then, the engine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Look at that. - Ah, pistons!- Look at that!
0:23:30 > 0:23:32So the steam goes in, pumps the pistons,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34which turns the big wheel at the back.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And that wheel is attached to a bike chain,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- which is attached to the pedals. - Exactly.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Grant, this is genius. - I wouldn't undo that one.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- No. OK, I won't do that! - Those other ones are OK!
0:23:47 > 0:23:48Very nice.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51'Now we need to check whether the engine actually works.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:54If you just stand back, watch the pedals.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- Standing back.- Look at that!- Wa-hey! Brilliant!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'Just one snag. There'll be a lot of heat pouring off the back
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'of that bike very close to Dick.'
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So, basically, I'm going to get a very hot bottom!
0:24:13 > 0:24:16'To protect Dick's tender backside from the hot boiler,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'we're making a special shield to put on the back of the bike.'
0:24:20 > 0:24:23A bit wonky! But it adds character, doesn't it?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Do you need a hand?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Silly man.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35There we go, all done!
0:24:35 > 0:24:38One genius, customised, tandem bike with steam booster!
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- And a whistle. - And a whistle.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43One last thing. Let's take it on the road!
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Come on!
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Can't get me leg over!
0:24:47 > 0:24:50To test our steam tandem, we've got a special race track
0:24:50 > 0:24:52set up on this airfield.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55We're going head to head with Pepe D'Anna.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Pepe? Who's this Pepe then?
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Is he some kind of like a Italian Formula One driver?
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Not exactly.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05Pepe's from Wolverhampton.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08He's brought along this brilliant little steam lorry
0:25:08 > 0:25:10that he's lovingly built from scratch.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14So, it's his lorry against our steam tandem.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17What's the name from, Pepe? Where are you from?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Sicily, originally, the family. - Oh, OK.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- It's Giuseppe, but Pepe's easier to say.- All right. Dick.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25That's even easier! Dom. Just as easy.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Joking aside, Pepe, you're good at building, but are you good at racing?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32There's only one way to find out, Pepe!
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Come on!- The proof is in the pudding.- Come on! Let's have it!
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Let's have some pudding.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39So, the challenge is to see whether,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42with a little bit extra horsepower from our steam engine,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45our tandem bike can beat Pepe's miniature steam lorry.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48Get ready, Lee.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50STEAM WHISTLES
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Welcome to Steam Derby Classic.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Dick and Dom versus Pepe. The race is on.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Twiddling some knobs from Pepe. Dick was ringing the bell.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03MUSIC: "The Chain" By Fleetwood Mac
0:26:03 > 0:26:05And they're off. The race is on.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Pepe storming right into the lead there.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12- He's beating us.- He is beating you. A pathetic start by Dick and Dom.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14And Pepe, even though he's got steam in his face,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16is concentrating on this race.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Why aren't we winning? Have you pulled the lever?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- I haven't put the engine on! - Pull it. You idiot!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Pull the lever! Is it working?- No!
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Go!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31They're pulling the lever now, and we're in action.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32How will they close the gap?
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Clearly this is Pepe's race, he's winning all the way.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Look how fast we're going!
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Dick doing his usual laughing, thinking that's going to help him.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Look at the size of that gap.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But no! Hang on, the steam engine's kicked in.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49They could win, it looks like they might even take it from Pepe.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The laughter's helping.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54They're all over the place. Who won the race? I can't tell.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's too close to call. Let's have a look at the photo.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Pipped on the line by Pepe! Congratulations.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Another 20 yards and I would have run out of steam.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Well done, Pepe. Pepe was leading the field,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- really far in front of us. - He didn't press the silly switch.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Didn't put the steam on, did I? And when the steam started,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16it went so fast I couldn't even pedal any more.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18So I had me legs off it. I wasn't doing anything!
0:27:20 > 0:27:24That was an amazing experience. James Watt, you are just brilliant!
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Yeah, your incredible steam engines.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28You invented horsepower!
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- True, true. - Your name on a light bulb.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Your face on a £50 note.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37James Watt, you are an absolute genius!
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Too kind, boys. Too kind!
0:27:43 > 0:27:44ARGH!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48ARGH!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50LAUGHTER
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- Bogies!- Awwww!
0:27:58 > 0:28:00It went right through me.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Don't wobble it.- I'm not doing anything.- Just stand still then.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Oi! Oi! ZAPPING
0:28:05 > 0:28:06HE LAUGHS