IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hardy Court, LYTHAM ST. ANNES, FY8 5TD

Now, sadly no longer there.

Workshops and factories were demolished here to make way for new housing

The houses in the background are on Graving Dock road.

This museum was owned by a private individual and housed in his engineering works at Lytham St Annes. When visited it had closed and the exhibits were to be auctioned off on 1st March 1992. I believe that the current company - Helical Technology - still retains a museum on site with some vintage technology. The main focus of this photograph is a horizontal single cylinder test engine from Blackburn Technical College. It is claimed to be very old and that it was originally built for a South African gold mine - I am not convinced either claim would stand close scrutiny. The engine was built by Marshall Sons & Co Ltd of Gainsborough to works No. 77871. This number puts the build date as 1924 (not that old at all). It was bought at Auction by Mr R Coles of Shaftesbury.

This museum was owned by a private individual and housed in his engineering works at Lytham St Annes. When visited it had closed and the exhibits were to be auctioned off on 1st March 1992. I believe that the current company - Helical Technology - still retains a museum on site with some vintage technology. The main focus of this photograph is an inverted vertical single cylinder engine driving an 'Invincible' centrifugal pump. This was built by J & H Gwynne and was used on a Preston Docks dredger. It was almost certainly used as the sea water circulating pump for the surface condenser. It was bought by the late Mr C Evans and its current location is unknown.

This museum was owned by a private individual and housed in his engineering works at Lytham St Annes. When visited it had closed and the exhibits were to be auctioned off on 1st March 1992. I believe that the current company - Helical Technology - still retains a museum on site with some vintage technology. The main focus of this photograph is an inverted vertical (enclosed) single cylinder steam engine. This was built in 1939 by Ashworth and Parker of Bury as works No. 1356 and used to belt drive a compressor at Manton Gasworks, Blackpool. It was bought at auction by Mr R Coles of Shaftesbury. I made no notes of the steam locomotive on the right. From the auction catalogue I believe it was most probably lot No. 3 - Ribble cement No. 3, an Hudswell, Clarke No. 1661 of 1936. A standard gauge 0-4-0 ST. As of 2019 it was noted to be in the current museum on this site that is not open to the public.

This museum was owned by a private individual and housed in his engineering works at Lytham St Annes. When visited it had closed and the exhibits were to be auctioned off on 1st March 1992. I believe that the current company - Helical Technology - still retains a museum on site with some vintage technology. The main focus of this photograph is an inverted vertical compound test engine. This came from Blackburn Technical College and was built by Harker & Sons (Eng) Ltd of stockton-on-Tees. The high pressure cylinder has a piston valve operated by Stephenson link motion and the low pressure has a Meyer slide valve. It has two Pickering governors and could be operated in a variety of modes. This pretty machine was not for sale and I suppose it may remain in the current museum that I have not seen. Hanging above it is lot 77 - a Rolls Royce RA7 'Avon' jet engine from a Mark 4 Hawker Hunter. I did not photograph the railway locomotives that were also in the sale.

Taken from coastal walk just off Gravings dock road.