Kempton Park Steam Engines facts for kids
Kempton Park Engine No. 6
The Sir William Prescott |
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| Established | October 2004 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kempton Great Engines Trust |
| Public transit access | Kempton Park |
The Kempton Steam Museum is a cool place in south-west London. It's home to two giant steam engines, built between 1926 and 1929. These amazing machines are called the Kempton Park steam engines or the Kempton Great Engines. They were made by a company called Worthington-Simpson for the Metropolitan Water Board.
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What Are the Kempton Great Engines?
Imagine an engine as big as the ones used in the famous ship, RMS Titanic! That's how huge these engines are. Each one could produce about 1,008 horsepower. Their main job was to pump a massive amount of water every day. They moved 19 million imperial gallons (about 86 million litres) of water. This water went to big storage tanks (reservoirs) in places like Cricklewood and Finsbury Park. From there, it became drinking water for many parts of London.
How Did They Get Water?
The water for these engines came from the River Thames. It was stored in large reservoirs like the Staines and Queen Mary Reservoirs. The engines would then pump this raw water to where it was needed.
Giants of Their Time
These engines are known as "inverted vertical triple-expansion" engines. They stand incredibly tall, about 62 feet (19 metres) from the basement to their very top. Each engine weighs over 800 tons! People believe they are the biggest engines ever built in the United Kingdom. They worked hard for many years and were finally retired in 1980.
Engine No. 6: The Sir William Prescott
One of the engines, called Engine No. 6, has been brought back to life! It's also known as The Sir William Prescott. This engine is now the largest fully working triple-expansion steam engine in the world. You can see it running on special weekends throughout the year. On other Sundays, from March to November, you can still visit and see it as a static display.
Engine No. 7: Bessie
The other engine, Engine No. 7, is named Bessie. This name comes from Sir Prescott's wife. The building where the engines are kept also has two water pumps powered by steam turbines. One of these steam turbines has been changed to run on a motor. This lets visitors see how its inside parts work.
Visiting the Museum
The Kempton Steam Museum is located near the A316 road, close to Sunbury-on-Thames. Right next to the museum, there's also a fun 2-foot gauge steam railway. It's called the Kempton Steam Railway. This railway is the biggest steam railway in London that offers rides to the public on certain days. The museum is run by a group called the Kempton Great Engines Trust, which is a charity.
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