Large Scale Central

Col. F.G. Ward Pumping Station

General Discussion
#1

This is not trains, but definitely steam. BIG STEAM. REAL BIG STEAM. I realize that the rules state that the General Forum should be “Train related topics that don’t fit into any other forum,” but I thought that the steam guys might get a kick out of this. Heck, I did and I go by “dieseldude.” Go figure. If this is inappropriate, please feel free to kill this thread.

A few weeks ago the City of Buffalo opened the Col. F. G. Ward Water Pumping Station up for a public tour. The pumping station was built in 1914 and at that time it was the largest pumping plant in the United States. It housed five vertical, triple expansion steam pumps built by the Holly Company of Lockport, NY. The pumps were five stories tall. Each pump weighed 1100 tons and pumped about 30 million gallons of water per day. Those pumps… are still there…

Here’s how they looked “back in the day.”

A closer look at the dual 30 ton fly wheels…

Five pumps in a row…

Some perspective- look at the size of the people on the walkway compared to the pumps…

The city has since converted to DC electric pumps, however there is a group that is planning on restoring one or more of these pumps for display purposes. With any luck, those massive flywheels will turn again.

By the way- those pumps were still operational (for emergency back up) until the mid 1970’s.

Oh… and I’ll try to make this “train related.”… The New York Central Railroad did supply the pumping station with coal to feed these monsters.

-Kevin.

#2

1914 till the 1970’s. That’s over 60 years of being operational, and they are going to try and get one running now, over 100 years after they were built. Modern stuff just isn’t (usually) built with that kind of longevity.

#3

Hmmmm I’ve seen those before.

The outside!

It’s a museum now.

http://waterworksmuseum.org/

The building to the left was the boiler building not room!

Yes coal was delivered to the pump station as well , it had it’s own spur.

#4

I just realized that must have been a multi-person operation when adjusting was needed. Gauges on the first level and controls on the third level. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#5

Yea, and dig the spiral staircases.

Victorian engineering, I just love it. Yes, I am a closet steampunk.

#6

David Maynard said:

Yea, and dig the spiral staircases.

Victorian engineering, I just love it. Yes, I am a closet steampunk.

1914 isn’t Victorian Engineering but still sweet stuff

#7

A few more fun facts-

The water intake for feeding these pumps is located 6600 feet (1 and a quarter mile) away… in Lake Erie. Vertical shafts were sunk 70 feet into the lake, then dynamite and drills were used to bore a 12 foot high tunnel under the lake bed and back towards the pumping station site.

And I thought boring a train tunnel would be hard. Try doing it beneath a lake.

-Kevin.

#8

Kevin,

Why did you have to do that? Gawd, the Col. Ward Pumping station. In Front Park. Where we went to watch the submarine races! I spent a lot of time around that place in the 1950s. Practiced my driving there and after having my mom accompany me to Front Park in the family Hudson–because I had only a learner’s permit–I drove my mother back from there to our house across from Humboldt Park, which not only surprised her, but also freaked her out 'cause she thought I couldn’t/shouldn’t do it. Ha! BTW, I passed my driving test at 16 on my first go-round. Talent will out.

About that water intake: Jeez, when you consider the crap Bethlehem and Republic Steel, National Aniline and all dumped into Lake Erie–for us to drink–it’s a wonder we’re still alive. Or did that water condition us for the stuff we would be drinking later?

Next, the saga of Love Canal.

#9

Ahhh, every so often something gets published somewhere that brings out us Buffaloons (Okay to say because that term was invented by Bruce Shanks, Bflo. Evening News cartoonist).

Hey D.Dude! Please post if you ever hear of the Col. Ward having public tours again.

And, at the risk of really getting off-topic, if anyone really is interested in this stuff I’d suggest you might be interested in “Horns & Whistles” a quarterly publication of a group that is mostly about…you guessed it, train and boat horns, factory whistles, etc. Most issues of the publication have a few pages on industrial heating and/or water facilities of this size. A quick search on “Horns and Whistles” should be all you need to get there.

JackM

#10

Check out Youtube - England has one that is still operational. Huge Monster:

Kempton Park Big Triple Steam Engine Starting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhlJp1VZMB8

#11

Ah, WOW!

#12

I peeked into the windows of a pumping station outside boston…i think it was chestnut hill? Boy are those impressive machines!!!

The architecture of the buildings was equally impressive, like a cathedral!

#13

A cathedral to modern engineering. Well, it was modern when they were built.

#14

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Hmmmm I’ve seen those before.

The outside!

It’s a museum now.

http://waterworksmuseum.org/

The building to the left was the boiler building not room!

Yes coal was delivered to the pump station as well , it had it’s own spur.

Eric this is what you saw!

It’s in the Cleveland Circle area on Beacon Street in Chestnut Hill.

I use to work in there …many moons ago

#15

Holy heat engines Batman! Gotta love their sense of style.

#16

Steve Weidner said:

Check out Youtube - England has one that is still operational. Huge Monster: Kempton Park Big Triple Steam Engine Starting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhlJp1VZMB8

Wonder what being in there for a long term job eventually did to one’s hearing.

#17

Huh?

You say something?