ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Whitbread Engine

Okay, imagine you have a toy car that you like to play with. And you want to make it go really fast, like zoom zoom! In a real car, there is something called an engine that helps it move. The Whitbread engine is a special type of engine that was used in ships a long time ago.

The Whitbread engine was made of big metal parts that worked together to make the ship go forward. These metal parts would get really hot and make lots of noise, like a big rumble. The engine would burn special fuel called coal, kind of like the firewood you use when you go camping.

When the coal burned, it made really hot steam that would shoot out of the engine and push the ship forward. It was like blowing a balloon up really fast, but instead of a balloon, it was a ship. The Whitbread engine was really good at making the ship go super fast, almost like a race car on water!

Today, ships have different types of engines and use different kinds of fuel, like gasoline or electricity. But a long time ago, the Whitbread engine was a really important and powerful way to make big ships move through the water.