Deptford Pumping Station
See separate entry for Deptford Sewage Pumping Station.
1932 The adjacent plan from Engineering shows four buildings housing water pumps at Deptford. From west to east: Worthington Engine House attached to the west end of the Cornish Engine House; Twins Pumping Station; New Pumping Station.
The following information is from Engineering 1932/05/27:-
The Deptford Water Co. came into existence in the 1701, when machinery was installed for pumping unfiltered water from the River Ravensbourne for the inhabitants of East Greenwich. These works were taken over in 1809 by the then newly formed Kent Waterworks Company, and unfiltered water continued to be supplied until 1844, in which year the first filter bed was laid down. In 1850 a reservoir and additional filter beds were constructed, but as the water became increasingly unsatisfactory, supply from that source was abandoned, and water drawn from three deep wells sunk into the chalk was substituted. The extent of pumping plant increased, and it was decided in 1927 to remodel it.
In 1812 two 38-inch Boulton and Watt Cornish engines were installed.
Two 70-in. Cornish engines were installed in the Cornish Engine House between 1849 and 1853.
One 60-in. Cornish engine in the Cold Bath Engine House in 1859.
One 50-in. Cornish engine in the Garden Engine House in 1863.
One 60-in. and one 50-in. Cornish engine in the Twins Engine House in 1870.
Two triple-expansion Worthington engines installed in 1924, having been moved from Molesey.
When the 1812 engines ceased work in 1925, some of the links of the parallel motion were removed and re-erected as lamp standards at Kempton Park Pumping station. The cylinders were originally 36 in. in diameter by 8-ft. stroke, and drove four single-acting pumps, two of which were 17 1/4 in. in diameter by 8 ft. stroke, and two 13 5/8 in. in diameter by 6-ft. 4-in. stroke. In 1843, new cylinders, pumps and air vessels and connections, as well as new boilers and steam pipes, were fitted. The cylinder diameter increased to 38 in., and the pump diameters decreased to 16 in. and 13 1/4 in.
Following a review in 1927, it was decided to place the whole of the new machinery in one engine house, and to sink a new well and connect it by adits to the three existing wells, and to adopt a single triple-expansion vertical reciprocating steam engine to do the whole of the pumping, with three steam turbine-driven centrifugal pumps as standby units for the surface pumps, and a water turbine-driven centrifugal pump as a stand-by for the well pumps. The main engine was of 800 water HP. The successful contractors for the whole of the engines and pumps were Hathorn, Davey and Co. Mechanically-stoked water-tube boilers were decided upon for the steam generating plant, ordered, along with their auxiliaries and coal and ash-handling plant, from John Thompson (Wolverhampton).
From Engineering 1932/06/10:-
The engine is of the vertical triple-expansion type, with cylinders 23½ in., 46 in., and 70 in. in diameter and 60 in. stroke, and develops a maximum of 800 water horse-power at 25 r.p.m. The crankshaft is coupled, through a clutch, to a three-throw crank operating the pumps lifting water from the well. .... The three pumps are each 22½ in. in diameter by 48 in. stroke, and have a total capacity of 7.2 million gallons per 24 hours. ... In line with the steam cylinders and driven direct from the engine crossheads, in the normal way for this type of pumping engine, are three single-acting low-level pumps, i.e., pumps for delivering the water that has been raised from the well to the district at the level of 200 ft. above the pumps. These three pumps are each 21½ in. in diameter by 60 in. stroke, and have a capacity of 8.3 million gallons per 24 hours. .... The intermediate and high-level pumps deliver the water to districts 300 ft. and 400 ft. above the pumps, respectively. They are situated by the side of the low-pressure pumps .... and are operated from a beam pivoted between them, and having one end coupled by a connecting rod to a crosshead on the low-level pump rams. The three intermediate level pumps are 18 in. in diameter by from 24 in. to 30 in. stroke and have a capacity of 2.5 to 3 million gallons per 24 hours. The three high-level pumps are 12 in. in diameter by from 20½ in. to 25 in.stroke, with a capacity of 0.9 to 1.1 million gallons per 24 hours. Both these sets of pumps are single-acting. The variation in stroke of the intermediate and high-level pumps is necessary in order to provide for minor relative changes in quantity required in the respective districts, and is effected by the adjusting mechanism shown in Figs. 9 to 14, page 680. The gudgeon pins to which the pump connecting rods are coupled are carried in crossheads which slide in guides attached to the inner sides of the beam. These crossheads are moved towards or away from the beam fulcrum by means of bevel gears operated by hand wheels, a method which enables the stroke of the pumps to be altered whilst the engine is running. ....'
See here for a series of zoomable photos relating to Deptford Waterworks.[1]
From the Press
1848 Sale notice: 'Deptford.— 43,000 Bricks, and other sound Building Materials, 14 ft. Iron Water-wheel, set of three-throw 12-in. Pumps, with Gear.
MR. ARMITAGE has received instructions from the Directors of the Kent Water works to Sell by Auction, THIS DAY, Oct. 17, at 12, on their Premises, Mill-lane, Deptford, the surplus BUILDING MATERIALS, comprising 43,000 sound bricks, cleaned, sorted, and stacked, 5,000 feet of sound fir joists and quartering, oak and fir girders of large dimensions, pan and plain tiles, Portland Yorkshire stone, pair of new 2-inch and braced entrance gates, with iron work, and about 10 tons of cast and wrought iron, 4cwt. of the best gun-metal, 9 10-inch iron flange-pipes, 3 perfect steam shut-off valves and pipes, galvanized iron chain, together with excellent 14-ft. iron water-wheel, and pumping machinery, lately use on the river Ravensbourne, and applicable for raising water, draining, or irrigating. May be viewed, and Catalogues had on the premises, and at the Auctioneer’s Office, Broadway, Deptford.'[2]
Location
The 1916 25" O.S. map here shows the waterworks at the extreme LHS of the map. To the east is a group of industrial buildings, presumably being the Deptford Works of John Penn and Sons.