Dogdyke Pumping Station facts for kids
Dogdyke Pumping Station
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| Formation | 1977 |
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| Purpose | The preservation of the Pumping Station, arranging events and demonstration of the pumping engines. |
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The Dogdyke Pumping Station is a special building in Lincolnshire, England. It holds powerful machines called drainage engines. These engines help keep the land around Tattershall from flooding. They pump water away from low-lying areas.
People started planning to drain this land way back in 1796. By 1844, a group called the Witham Third District commissioners took charge. The main building you see today was built in 1856. It replaced older machines, possibly even windmills from the 1540s! These machines drained land between the Bain and Witham. The water was pumped into the River Witham through a special channel. The Dogdyke Pumping Station is also a "Grade II listed ancient monument." This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected.
Contents
Meet the Engines!
The Dogdyke Pumping Station has several amazing engines. Each one played a big role in keeping the land dry.
Here are the main engines you can find there:
- A steam-powered beam engine with a scoop wheel, built in 1856.
- A Ruston & Hornsby diesel engine with a centrifugal pump, built in 1940.
- A smaller Ruston & Hornsby auxiliary diesel engine.
The Old Steam Engine
The steam engine is very old but still works! A special group called a preservation trust takes care of it. They even run it on some weekends during the summer. This allows visitors to see it in action. Many people believe it's the oldest working steam drainage engine around.
This huge engine was built by Bradley & Craven Ltd. It has a giant flywheel that is about 16 foot (4.9 m) across. Its main cylinder is 24 inches (0.61 m) wide and has a 48 inches (1.2 m) stroke. The engine's design is quite unique and strong.
The engine powers a massive scoop wheel. This wheel is about 24 feet (7.3 m) in diameter. It spins up to 7 times a minute, moving water. A gearbox helps transfer the power from the engine to the wheel.
The first boiler for the steam engine lasted until 1909. It was a "Cornish" type boiler. The next one was a "Lancashire boiler" made by Fosters of Lincoln. Today, parts of this boiler remain. However, a modern boiler is used to create steam for demonstrations.
The original chimney was very tall, about 100 feet (30 m) high. It was hit by lightning in 1922 and made shorter. In 1941, it was taken down completely. This happened after the station switched to using diesel engines.
The Modern Diesel Engines
Two diesel engines are also at the station. The Witham Third District Internal Drainage Board maintains them. They act as a backup in case the nearby electric pumping station has problems. You can often see them running when the museum is open.
The main steam engine was replaced in 1940 by a Ruston & Hornsby 7XHR diesel engine. This powerful engine drives a 22-inch Gwynnes centrifugal pump. It has a large capacity of 23.6 litres. The engine has one horizontal cylinder. It can produce 40 horsepower (30 kW) of power at 300 rotations per minute.
There is also a smaller Ruston & Hornsby 1VTO auxiliary engine. This engine helps start the bigger diesel engine. It provides the air needed to get it going. It also runs a small pump that prepares the main Gwynnes Limited pump. This smaller engine can produce 5 horsepower (4 kW) of power.
Visiting the Pumping Station
If you want to visit on a steaming day, you'll drive down a farm road. Then you'll walk across a grassy area. The site is mostly flat, but some parts might be tricky for wheelchairs because it's an old building.
The station offers toilets and tea for visitors. There is also some limited wheelchair access.
See also
