Millwall Docks - chimney and vacuum pump.
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Millwall Docks - chimney and vacuum pump. by Chris Allen as part of the Geograph project.
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Millwall Docks - chimney and vacuum pump.
Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 24 Jul 2011
The big red object is a motor driven vacuum pump from a grain elevator. I'm not sure whereabouts in London's dockland that it came from. It was built by Spencer of Melksham and is not to be confused with a steam engine. These vacuum pumps are impressive and there must be a few left at work in the larger flour mill complexes. In Rotterdam there is a floating steam powered example with two of these pumps connected to a steam engine in the middle.
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Image Location
Latitude
51.492792
Longitude
-0.016016