Collection

There is one Tangye steam pump in the collection.

• #Horizontal Special Double Acting 4x2½x10, No.41689, c1930s, The Midlands

#Horizontal Special Double Acting 4x2½x10, No.41689, c1930s, The Midlands

Size: 4" steam cylinders, 2½" pumping cylinders with 10" stroke

This pump was manufactured by the Birmingham manufacturer of Tangye. It is numbered 41689 and of size 4x2½x10. It is actually called 'the special pump' and has the minimum of moving parts. It is based on the style of the Cornish Pump.

It runs on steam or air and the valve is actuated by the piston striking a small spring loaded plunger valve at the end of its stroke at each end of the cylinder. This allows steam to enter the valve chamber and push the shuttle valve along opening the main steam port directing mains pressure steam into the cylinder. At the end of its stroke the piston block strikes another plunger valve repeating the same procedure in the opposite direction.

The pump is has been fully restored and was successfully run on air for the first time on 1st January 2009. It has since been transferred to Internal Fire Museum in West Wales.

A similar pump could be seen at the Think Tank, Birmingham Science Museum.