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 view is down the back of the engine and shows a flywheel at each end. The big angled pipe nearest the photographer is the exhaust pipe from the low pressure cylinder to the surface condenser under the floor. The two big cylinders on the middle platform by the stairs are the two interstage steam reheaters. These improve efficiency by reheating the steam between stages and reducing condensation in the cylinders. The device against the far flywheel is the safety device that stops the engine if pressure is lost in the pumping main. I have some more recent colour slides of the underfloor pumps and condenser but have yet to find and scan them.

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