James Watt

Without my separate condenser, the steam engine is but a toy.

In the contrivance of the engine, I have endeavoured to combine simplicity with power.

The term 'horsepower' will convey a distinct idea to those who are to use the engine.

A good mechanic is a man who understands the principles of his work.

The fire-engine I have invented is now so perfect that I think little more can be done to it.

Let the engine speak for itself; its work is its best advocate.

Invention is not a matter of sudden inspiration, but of patient thought and experiment.

The most important part of a machine is the mind that conceived it.

I am plagued with the fear of my engine being pirated before I reap the advantage.

The application of the expansive power of steam is the key to efficiency.

A man must not be discouraged by difficulties; they are the whetstones of invention.

My partnership with Boulton is not merely of capital, but of mind and spirit.

The sun and the planet gear will give a perfect parallel motion.

Precision in execution is as vital as correctness in design.

I would rather face a loaded cannon than settle an account or make a bargain.

The boiler is the stomach of the engine; it must be strong and well-fed.

It is not enough to know that a thing works; one must understand why it works.

The true use of steam is not to blow kettles off the fire, but to lift the weight of the world.

I have been cursed with a mind that cannot rest while a mechanical problem remains unsolved.

The double-acting engine will double the duty performed for the same fuel.