Here in Wilmington, DE we have intact a very large pumping station complete with 3 story tall triple expansion water pump with boiler and related equipment. It is off limits now while the city is fixing up the building for tours. I will try to post some photos in the near future.

Below is a link to the HABS/HAER survey of the facility.

Tom Gears


Brandywine Pumping Station
tom@forgottendelaware.com

> Here in Wilmington, DE we have intact a very
> large pumping station complete with 3 story
> tall triple expansion water pump with boiler
> and related equipment. It is off limits now
> while the city is fixing up the building for
> tours. I will try to post some photos in the
> near future.

> Below is a link to the HABS/HAER survey of
> the facility.

> Tom Gears

Tom,

Thanks for the correction. I will pass it on to Dale at McNeill; he knew that there were other pumping stations extant; but did not know that was apparently unaware that the Brandywine Pumping Station was "intact".

I looked at the pictures of the pump itself; I find it interesting that it is of completely different construction from any of the pumps at McNeill. (It's closest cousin is probably the the two horizontal cross-compound pumps at McNeill; it also looks like an overgrown steam fire engine pump.)

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

McNeill Pumping Station, Shreveport
james1@pernet.net

James,

There is also a really old one in Chesapeake City, MD at the C&D Canal Museum. It is a 1850's vintage walking beam engine. It does nto have the boilers but the engines are intact, it is worth a look see.

Tom

tom@forgottendelaware.com

Thats an Ingersoll Rand triple expansion pump. Nearly identical in design to water pumps built by William Tod Co. I have video of one of the last times that pump was in operation. The last Tod water pump still exists in Kent, Ohio.

The Tod Engine

todengine@woh.rr.com

> James,

> There is also a really old one in Chesapeake
> City, MD at the C&D Canal Museum. It is
> a 1850's vintage walking beam engine. It
> does nto have the boilers but the engines
> are intact, it is worth a look see.

> Tom

Tom,

There are an amazing number of these beam engines remaining in the USA, UK, and Europe. One of the most impressive is the Cruquius Pumping Station in the Netherlands; I include a link below. It is up there with the Tod engine in terms of shear size.

The oldest may be a Cornish Beam Engine which was intact up to about 1960s or later, which I believe was moved to the Henry Ford Museum. It dates from about 1750.

They are actually a different beast altogether because they used buckets to raise water from one elevation to a higher elevation. For example, they were used to drain mines, and polders (sp?) in Holland. They then dumped the water at atmospheric pressure into a canel or ditch.

On the other hand, the ones at McNeill and in Deleware were used to supply drinking water under pressure to a town. McNeill included a filtration plant and some storage tanks; the Deleware plant may was well.

BTW, I assume you will be adding your pumping station photographs as part of your "Forgotten Deleware" website. When you do, let me know, and I will link to it from my McNeill page. Also, you are doing a great job with "Forgotton Deleware"; I especially enjoyed your picture of the steam engine still remaining on the swing bridge.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


james1@pernet.net

I know of steam water pumping engines in Philipsberg, NJ, Boston, MA. Woburn, MA and a Sewer pumping engine in East Boston, MA

hgorin@ix.netcom.com

> I know of steam water pumping engines in
> Philipsberg, NJ, Boston, MA. Woburn, MA and
> a Sewer pumping engine in East Boston, MA

This is one time I am glad to be have been wrong. :)

I will update my McNeill page to reflect this in the near future. In the meantime, I recieved permission from the plant manager to make available the pictures I took of steam pumps around the plant. Six others also exist at the same location; some of which are operational as backup pumps.

Since I found 20 in a small area here in Texas; it wouldn't surprise me if there are thousands of these small pumps scattered around the country, many still in use; along with the feedwater heater kind on steam locomotives and boats and on steam fire engines. You can also still purchase them from several pump vendors.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Reciprocating Steam Pumps
james1@pernet.net