Museum of Power facts for kids
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The museum building
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| Location | Langford, Maldon |
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| Type | Industrial |
| Key holdings | Steam pumping engine |
The Museum of Power is located in the former Southend Waterworks (now Essex and Suffolk Water) Langford Pumping Station in Langford, Essex, England. It is on the B1019, on the main road from Maldon to Hatfield Peverel.
History
Langford Pumping Station was built by Thomas and Charles Hawksley in 1924, and opened in 1927. It continued pumping fresh (treated) water using steam engines until 1963, when electric pumps took over. It is designed to extract water from the Rivers Chelmer, Ter, and Blackwater. The three inflows merge in a small settling reservoir, where sediment is naturally deposited, and then pumped for treatment, and again to a storage reservoir. Two of the three engines and the boilers and coaling plant were scrapped in 1963, and the octagonal chimney was demolished.
The pump house buildings and the remaining engine were declared scheduled monuments in 1986 and also received engineering heritage listed status from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 2012 as a result of the return to steam.
Museum
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The surviving engine, Marshall, and pump set has been preserved and restored to operating condition by the museum's volunteers in 2011. The museum runs 10 steam days annually, which are part of the many events (examples listed above). The engine, built by the Lilleshall Company of Oakengates in Shropshire, is a triple-expansion steam engine built in 1931 and numbered 282. Museum research shows that 'Marshall' was the last triple-expansion engine to be built by the Lilleshall Company and is the only one of its kind in the UK still in its original location, with its original pump sets. When operating on steam, 'Marshall' could be unique worldwide, but this cannot be proved.
The museum operates the Langford and Beeleigh Miniature Railway, which offers passenger rides around the museum, as well as Astaria, the only model village in Essex. The museum hosts major events such as the Easter Transport Fest, Classic Vehicle & Vintage Show, American Car Show, and Bike Meet, which see a large array of visiting vintage cars, motorbikes, and American and custom vehicles on display. It is also the home of Essex's major steampunk event, which takes place every September.
Address
Steam Pumping Station
Hatfield Road
Langford, Maldon
Essex, CM9 6QA
See also
- Internal Fire Museum of Power, a museum of internal combustion engines in West Wales
- Prickwillow Museum
- Stretham Old Engine
- Cambridge Museum of Technology
