Abbey Pumping Station facts for kids
Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester Museum of Science and Technology
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1972 |
|---|---|
| Location | Leicester, United Kingdom |
| Type | Science and Technology Museum |
| Key holdings | Steam engines, 'interactive toilets', steam shovel, buses |
| Architect | Stockdale Harrison |
The Abbey Pumping Station is a cool museum of science and technology in Leicester, England. You can find it on Corporation Road, right next to the National Space Centre. This museum is special because it has four huge steam-powered engines that used to pump sewage! It also shows off exhibits about transport, public health, light, optics, toys, and how big engineering projects are built.
Contents
What was the Abbey Pumping Station?
This amazing building was built way back in 1891 by the Leicester Corporation. It was placed on the north side of Leicester, right by the River Soar. Its main job was to act as a pumping station. This meant it pumped all of Leicester's sewage (wastewater) to a special sewage farm located on higher ground at Beaumont Leys.
The building itself is a grand example of Victorian architecture. It was designed by an architect from Leicester named Stockdale Harrison in 1890. Inside, it holds four powerful Woolf compound beam engines. These engines were built by a local company called Gimson and Company.
Before this station, Leicester had problems with sewage. In the 1850s, when piped water made toilets possible, there was a smaller system. But it wasn't big enough for the growing town. Many poorer areas still used "pail closets," which were like outdoor toilets where waste was collected in pails. Getting rid of this waste caused bad smells and pollution in the River Soar.
So, a new plan was needed! The answer was to pump all the waste to a sewage farm far away. The Abbey Pumping Station took over from an older, smaller facility. It received sewage from two big sewer pipes, one from the east of the city and another that ran along Abbey Lane.
By 1912, even with 2,000 acres of sewage farm and the ability to pump 20 million gallons a day, the city was still growing fast. More sewers were built, and the station needed to expand. In 1939, a huge ram pump was added, which was said to be the biggest of its kind in Europe! The station kept pumping Leicester's sewage until 1964. That's when electric pumps took over, and a few years later, a new plant called Wanlip Sewage Treatment took over completely. The Abbey Pumping Station was no longer needed for its original job.
How it Became a Museum
Good news! In 1972, the building got a new life. It re-opened as a museum of science and technology, run by Leicestershire Museums. The giant beam engines were kept safe inside. Over time, they were carefully fixed up and made to work again. This museum is now one of several historic pumping stations that have been saved and preserved. Since 1997, Leicester City Council has been in charge of the Abbey Pumping Station.
-
Building viewed from Northeast
-
Abbey Pumping Station entrance
-
One of the educational displays
-
Beam engines
What Can You See at the Museum?
When you visit, you can see the amazing steam engines that used to power the sewage pumps. But there's much more! The museum has:
- Fun and informative displays, mostly about water and sewage.
- An old-fashioned film theatre.
- Collections of cool items, from old home appliances to trams.
- A unique collection of large industrial machines outside. This includes a narrow gauge railway and some old transport vehicles.
The Amazing Beam Engines
The four steam engines you see here were built in Leicester by Gimson and Company. They are very rare examples of Woolf compound rotative beam engines. Even when they were built, these engines were considered an older but very reliable design. And they are HUGE!
- Their cylinders are about 76 cm x 177 cm and 122 cm x 259 cm.
- The big cast-iron flywheels are 6.4 meters across.
- The long beams are made of steel and are 8.5 meters long.
- Each engine has 200 horsepower.
These engines could pump an incredible 208,000 imperial gallons of sewage every hour! That's about 263 liters per second.
All four engines have been brought back to working condition by a dedicated team of volunteers from the Leicester Museums Technology Association. It's the only place in the world where you can see four working examples of the same type of beam engine in one building! The volunteers are currently working on keeping Engine No. 1 in great shape, which they spent four years restoring.
Museum Opening Times
The Pumping Station is usually open daily from 11 AM to 4:30 PM. On special "steam days," you can see the engines running on steam! They also show off other steam and early internal combustion machines on these days.
Cool Transport Collection
The museum has a narrow gauge railway. This railway is usually run by a locomotive named Leonard. Leonard was built in 1918. There are also four diesel locomotives available if needed.
You'll also find a collection of old road vehicles that are sometimes operated on special days. These include:
- Several fire engines.
- Buses (see below).
- An 1894 Aveling and Porter steam roller.
- Several diesel rollers.
- A Bedford fish and chips van (how cool is that?!).
- An old tower wagon from the Leicester Corporation Tramways.
- An Austin K2 brewery dray lorry, which used to deliver ales.
- Buses
- 1939 Leicester City Transport: AEC Renown 0664 CBC 921. This bus is fully restored and can be driven.
- 1958 Delaine Coaches: Leyland Tiger Cub PSUC1/2 MTL 750. Fully restored and operational.
- 1958 Leicester City Transport: Leyland Titan PD3/1 TBC 164. Fully restored and operational.
See also
