Maple Brook Pumping Station - Steam engine

Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 28 Jan 1984

This is a South Staffordshire Water Works pumping station with a preserved inverted vertical triple expansion pumping engine that drove well and force pumps. This was built in 1913 by Galloways Ltd of Manchester. The Corliss valve cylinders are 22", 35" & 55" bores by 48" stroke. The two flywheels are 14' diameter. It was designed for 254 water horsepower at 20 rpm on steam at 160 psi. It ceased operation in 1972, a year after the other engine in the same room had been scrapped to make way for electric pumps. This is a view of the high pressure motion and one of the flywheels. The crosshead is guided by a single slipper running on the inverted Y cast back standard. The connecting rod has a forked little end and the crank is a double web slab crank. The crankshaft is in sections and a bolted coupling is seen on the extreme right. Two rods descend from the crosshead passing in front of and behind the crankshaft and operate the force pump below this cylinder. The front of the cylinder is supported by a turned steel column that is fastened to the bed at bottom left.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0