| The Hathorn Davey Triple Expansion Engine |
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The idea for using such engines in waterworks came from
America around 1880 and soon gained popularity. The example
at Kew Bridge was built in Leeds in 1910 by Hathorn Davey & Co.
and was previously in service in a pumping station at Newmarket.
The engine was donated to the museum by the Anglian Water
Authority.
As with the Dancers End engine, the Triple drove
its pumps from extensions to the piston rods - in this case
four smaller rods can be seen on each cross-head driving down
into the sump of the engine. Due to headroom restrictions,
the pumps are no longer fitted to this engine.
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Compared to the beam engines, this engine is of fairly modern
design and represents the most common type of pumping engine
built for waterworks after about 1900. It is usually considered
to be an intermediary stage in development between beam engines
and internal combustion engines. The cylinders are inverted
and placed in a line directly over the crankshaft in much
the same way as a modern car engine.