As the industrial revolution developed, so did the iron industry. A set of innovations, from different materials to new techniques, allowed iron production to expand greatly. In 1709 Darby became the first man to smelt iron with coke (more on the coal industry). Although this was a key date, the impact was limited as the iron was still brittle. Around 1750 a steam engine was first used to pump water back up to power a water wheel. This process only lasted a small time as industry became better able to move around as coal took over. In 1767 Richard Reynolds helped costs fall and raw material travel further by developing the first iron rails although this was superseded by canals.
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