| The James Simpson, or Waddon, Engine |
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The Waddon engine was built by James Simpson & Company in Pimlico in 1910 and so is our joint youngest engine, sharing the title with the Triple. It is a cross-compound engine, the high and low pressure cylinders being placed horizontally, with the flywheel between them. They are connected by a receiver, which can be seen above the two cylinders. This engine drives two sets of pumps - dual bucket pumps,
or well pumps, which are driven from a tail rod connected
to the low pressure cylinder's piston rod, via a bell crank;
and a force pump which is driven from a tail rod connected
to the high pressure cylinder's piston rod.
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The Waddon Pumping Station at Croydon, Surrey, had the distinction
of being the last waterworks in Britain to have a reciprocating
steam engine in commercial operation. Its two pumping engines
were finally shut down in 1983. The older engine (No.1) was
presented to the museum by Thames Water and was dismantled
and moved to Kew Bridge in 1984.
