The 'Dover' Engine
Worthington Simpson (Newark) No 5056 was built in 1937 with sister engine No 5055. However, this engine laid boxed up at Worthington Simpson's works in Newark, Nottingham, during the war years and it was not until 1954 that 5056 was built and commissioned in service at the Connaught Road Pumping Station, Dover, where 5055 had been working since 1939.
The substantial labour costs associated with steam pumping of water meant that despite being virtually unworn, the engines commercial lives were over in the early 1970's and following negotiations which resulted in the engine being purchased on the 'never never' dismantling commenced in 1977, the waterworks staff being displaced by modern technology working their notice on this task.
The re location, preservation and ongoing restoration of this massive engine - the last reciprocating waterworks steam pumping engine of any notable size to be erected for public waterworks service in the UK, represents the absolute zenith of private preservation efforts, many groups have been formed (and some have failed) to preserve large waterworks engines in situ, few individuals have attempted - almost single handed in the early years - to remove - some 85 tons of engine, being transported on about thirty lorry loads - and rebuild such a massive engine on a different site but this is exactly what Dr Francis commenced on in 1977.
The Worthington Simpson foreman erector John Graveny. although due to retire, was kept on by Worthingtons (who also sponsored a number of other aspects of this preservation project on their last 'big' engine and still maintain a keen interest in it and the Museum's progress) to supervise dismantling and rebuilding of the engine - this was a job he knew well being the third time he had built the engine (once for initial build and test at Newark, once on site in Dover and finally at Forncett)
Sadly, John passed away following completion of the main parts being assembled, although those of us who have worked alone, at night, on the engine have reason to believe that he is still keeping an eye on things !
Of the Inverted Triple Expansion type it has three cylinders, 14", 26" and 42" diameter by 36" stroke. High pressure steam at 185 psig was introduced through piston drop valves driven by a camshaft along the cylinder fronts first to the high pressure (smallest) cylinder, then as it exhausted from here through a steam jacketed re heater it went to the intermediate pressure cylinder (middle size) and finally - again via the re heater- it went to the low pressure or largest cylinder. When exhausted from there, the steam was led to a condenser where the atmospheric pressure of the day was added to the engines power output.
Developing 147 horsepower at 24 - 25 rpm this was by no means the largest UK pumping engine. it drove three lift pumps from four long steel rods connected to the bottom of each crosshead and three deep well pumps from a crankshaft fitted the other side of its massive 12 foot diameter 12 ton flywheel delivering 96,000 gallons of water each day against a total head of 420 feet.
Restoration has taken many years and is now slowly approaching completion, the main work was re erected in 1978, the purpose designed engine house built over it in 1979. Since then we have lost count of the number of man hours involved in de rusting, painting, cleaning and fitting the thousands of small parts (and over 1/3 mile of lubricator piping) which has absorbed weekends, holidays and other free time of a small but dedicated team of volunteers.
The Dover Engine finally steamed again in May 2000.