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Lower Lane, LICHFIELD, WS13 8DG

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.

This South Staffordshire Water Works station was built in 1913 and housed two large triple expansion pumping engines built in 1913 and 1920. Each had an associated horizontal duplex steam winch for servicing its well pumps. The later engine and its winch were scrapped but the 1913 engine and its winch survive. The winch was built by John H Wilson of Liverpool

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 pump. This view is onto the flywheel at the low pressure end of the engine. The big crank on the left edge is for one of the well pumps below. The two rods heading up through holes in the top platform operated the low pressure cylinder Corliss valves (steam/inlet to the left and exhaust to the right). The big pipe coming down on the right is the exhaust pipe heading to the surface condenser. Behind that pipe on the middle platform are two cylindrical objects that are the reheaters for the steam from high pressure to intermediate pressure and from intermediate pressure to low pressure. The flywheel is cast in halves. A rim joint is seen at the top and consists of cotters through an internal fixing link shaped like a dog bone. The hub is held together with a pair of shrink rings (these are put on hot having been heated). In my opinion this is a beautiful machine.

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 pump.

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 pump. This view is on the top level of the engine and closest to the camera is the Corliss valve trip gear on the intermediate pressure cylinder. The low pressure cylinder is behind and part of it seen to the left.

A South Staffordshire Water Works Company steam pumping station built in 1913 and originally containing two inverted vertical triple expansion pumping engines. One remains in situ and is preserved. There is some snow on the grass beyond.

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 pump.

This South staffordshire Waterworks Company pumping station originally had two inverted vertical triple expansion pumping engines. One of these is preserved and was built by W & J Galloway of Manchester in 1913. An unusual feature is that the air pump for removing condensate and incondensible gases from the condenser was independent and driven by its own small steam engine. It was more usual for the air pump to be driven off the main engine by linkage. Although the pump handled more liquid than gas, it was known as an air pump since the days of James Watt.