Shore Road Pumping Station facts for kids
The Shore Road Pumping Station is a special building in Birkenhead, England. It's on the Wirral Peninsula, which is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. This building used to house huge machines that pumped water away from a railway tunnel.
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What is a Pumping Station?
A pumping station is like a big machine house. It contains powerful pumps that move liquids, often water, from one place to another. The Shore Road Pumping Station was built to keep the railway tunnel under the River Mersey dry.
Building the Station
Engineers James Brunlees and Charles Douglas Fox designed this station in the 1880s. It was an important part of the Mersey Railway project. This railway allowed trains to travel under the River Mersey, connecting Birkenhead and Liverpool.
The Giant Grasshopper
When it was first built, the station had two steam-powered machines called beam engines. These engines were like giant seesaws that moved pumps up and down. Their job was to remove water that seeped into the railway tunnel.
By 1959, these old steam engines stopped working. They were replaced by modern electric pumps. However, one of the original steam engines, nicknamed the 'Giant Grasshopper' because of its shape, is still there! It was even fixed up to work again.
The Building's Look
The pumping station is a three-story building made of brick. It was built in the Italianate style, which means it looks a bit like old Italian buildings. It has a roof made of Welsh slate, a strong type of stone.
In the late 1980s, the building was turned into a museum. A glass staircase was added to the front so visitors could easily get inside.
Another Pumping Station
Across the River Mersey in Liverpool, there's a similar building. It's called the Mann Island Pumping Station. Both buildings show how important these stations were for the railway.
From Pumping Station to Museum
In 1992, the Shore Road Pumping Station was given a special status called Grade II listed status. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
It later became part of the Wirral Museum. They even rebuilt a street scene from Birkenhead in 1901 in the yard outside. This helped visitors imagine what life was like back then.
Why the Museum Closed
In 2009, the owners, Wirral Borough Council, decided to sell the museum. They were reviewing their properties. Sometime between 2012 and 2014, the museum closed its doors to the public.
