ICI Oil Works, Billingham - engine driving cooling water pump

Image: © Chris Allen Taken: 13 Oct 1990

ICI built a coal to petrol plant at Billingham (known as the Oil Works) in 1935 and this was of great use during WWII. In the post war era it was adapted to produce more mundane chemicals such as detergents and plasticisers. It was decommissioned in the early 1990s and demolished. This engine drove a cooling water centrifugal pump and was on standby if I remember correctly. It was made by Belliss & Morcom Ltd of Birmingham in 1939 as No. 9523. The cylinders were 12" & 18" x 9". It was good for a maximum of 300 bhp and operated over a speed range of 80-380 revolutions per minute. It was removed for possible preservation but scrapped subsequently. Obviously, permission was needed to enter this plant and photography was another layer of difficulty as no batteries were allowed on site (even wrist watches were checked in to an office away from the plant). The pictures were therefore taken on guessed and bracketed exposures with an SLR that had some mechanical shutter speeds (B was mechanical). I have scanned this slide, converted to monochrome and adjusted to give an acceptable result.

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