There is not enough time in the light bubble of this universe. I also want a Lego !9th Century difference engine. (this is also done with mechano, (erector set in the US.)
There was a time when I knew the guy who did the latter. We were both hanging out at the computer History Musuem. I helped myself to a copy of the plans to the Analytical engine. (the computer designed in the 1830s and 1840s) Full scale version would be the size of a locomotive steam engine , so It has not been constructed.
Here is a drawing of what the difference engine looked like in the 19th century. It was 70 percent complete when scrapped only 10 percent survives.
This is from my 1855 copy of Dickens 'Little Dorrit.' The cams can be seen in the lower left. The calculation towers in the shadows in the center background. Bit strange the only contemporary illustration is in a fictional book. Dickens just calls it the 'Invention.' does give it away in a few places. He got the IPO correct. The movies show the 'invention' as something to do with the steam engine.
Dickens was also fascinated by the telegraph. Which plays a part in the one creepiest ghost stories written 'The Signalman.'
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289
And to think this is what they read to each other on Christmas eve. Dickens Babbage and Ada (first programmer) were good friends. There is a record of them discussing Burke and Hair at dinner. Not what I would discuss on a cold winter' night.
Arguably Amy Dorrit is based on Ada Lovelace, Bryon's only daughter. She also Identified with Florence Domby. which Dickens read to her on the her deathbed. Ada died before the publication of Dorrit. Which also has scenes set in Italy and Switzerland and based on the Grand Tours of the contentment done by people like Babbage in the 1840s. The inventor 'Daniel Doyce.' in the Story speaks with Babbage's voice and intonations similar to Babbage's letters and books.) Too bad Dickens burned all his correspondence, so we do not know what Babbage wrote Dickens. The replied Dickens wrote survive, but that is only half the conversation.
Much of what Babbage really invented, (such as the automatic lathe credited to his mechanics Witworth and Clement (who wanted credit for the invention and is called Clement in Dorrit.) ), was used to make watches automatically. One wonders what these guys (and Unaccredited gals) could have done with Lego. Now I need to see if there IS a steampunk lego set ... If not there should be.
As I said, not enough time In the light bubble of the Universe, for me to do what I would like with Lego.
(I too can write Victorian sentences with lots of commas and digressions.)
