Hydraulic engine house, Bristol Harbour

Hydraulic engine house
Location within Bristol
General information
Town or city Bristol
Country England
Coordinates 51°26′49″N 2°37′06″W / 51.4469°N 2.6183°W / 51.4469; -2.6183
Completed 1888

The Hydraulic engine house is part of the "Underfall Yard" in Bristol Harbour in Bristol, England.

The octagonal brick and terracotta chimney of the engine house dates from 1888, and is grade II* listed,[1] as is the hydraulic engine house itself. It replaced the original pumping house which is now The Pump House public house. It is built of red brick with a slate roof and originally contained two steam engines. These were replaced in 1907 by the current machines from Fullerton, Hodgart and Barclay of Paisley. It powered the docks' hydraulic system of cranes, bridges and locks [2] until 2010.

The tower houses a hydraulic accumulator which stores the hydraulic energy ensuring a smooth delivery of pressure and meaning that the pumps do not need to be running the whole time. The external accumulator was added about 1920. The water is pumped from the harbour into a header tank and then fed by gravity to the pumps. The working pressure is 750 lbs/square inch.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chimney of hydraulic engine house". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
  2. ↑ "Hydraulic engine house". Images of England. Retrieved 2006-08-18.


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