For those of us who are interested in industrial history, this was a real treasure. There are two beam engine pumps which are powered by two of the original six boilers They supply steam at 50 psi (3.4 bar) to cylinders each being 46 inches (120 cm) in diameter and which have a stroke of 7.5 feet (2.3 m). Each engine has a flywheel which is 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter, and weighs 24 tons. The beams weigh 13 tons and are 25 feet (7.6 m) long. They drive a main pump, which raises water from the wells, which are 200 feet (61 m) deep. They have a supplementary pump, which brings the water up to the reservoir. Each pump could raise 1.5 million imperial gallons (6.8 million litres) of water per day. They initially generated 130 hp (97 kW) of power, which was later up-rated to 250 hp (190 kW). This may not sound impressive when compared to the output of today’s Bentley Turbo engines but the operation of these beam engines are  very worth seeing. I expected a great deal of hissing and puffing noises from the machinery but the loudest sound came from the cam operated valve gear. Nothing could be heard from outside the building.

For a small extra charge, we were taken to an underground reservoir, a short distance away. This was empty of any water other than a small amount near the input pipe. The construction was of brick and was rather like being in a cathedral. The floor was cleverly designed to collect any sand or other impurities before they reached the output pipe. Papplwick is at a higher altitude than Nottingham and water was sent downhill to the city. Clever men (& women) those Victorians.

The weather was cloudy, sunshine and heavy showers but there were plenty of bolt holes to disappear into during the worst of the rain. 38 members and guests arrived in 17 cars

Report by Derek Randall

Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club - East Midlands Section

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Visit to Papplewick Pumping Station and Underground Reservoir Sept. 22nd 2019