Brindley Bank Pumping station - steam engine

Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 28 Jan 1984

105' long Hathorn, Davey horizontal tandem compound engine operating well pumps and a force pump. The engine was built in 1907 in Leeds. The cylinders are 28" and 54" bores by 5' stroke. The massive flywheel is 24' diameter. The engine took steam at 100 psi and developed 223 indicated horsepower at a maximum of 18 revolutions per minute. In 1983 the engine was preserved in a working station and there was a company museum in the former boiler house. Since then the engine house has been listed but is no longer in use or maintained. This view is of the high pressure cylinder. The slide valve chest is closest and contains a manually adjustable Meyer expansion slide valve. To the left is the displacement lubricator supplying steam oil to the engine's internal workings. On top of the valve chest is the main steam stop valve (always a stop valve not a start valve). To the right of the stop valve is an emergency throttle valve that is tripped by low water pressure. As the engine worked against a constant high head it did not need a conventional governor but did have protection against loss of load (i.e. a low pressure in the pumping main).

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