Around 1850, the compound engine, which was suitable for higher steam pressures, had been introduced based on Woolf's principles but had not been widely accepted in the textile areas. The Lancashire boiler was gaining in popularity and this again was suitable for higher pressures. In spite of the various pointers to more efficient and economical steam engines, the Lancashire textile millowners continued to prefer the low-pressure beam engine either in its single-cylinder form or with pairs of engines throughout the period up to the 1860s. Such engines were regarded as safer because less damage occurred if there were boiler explosions and their reliability had been proved. Also until about 1850, there was no theoretical reason to consider that an engine using higher pressures would give greater economy and that therefore there could be advantages in adopting high-pressure steam.

It is interesting to note where high-pressure steam was introduced first. It was in cases where a high starting torque was essential. The textile mill engine never started to drive the whole mill at the beginning of the day because, at night just before the mill was due to stop running, a whistle was sounded and the operatives disengaged their machines.