These 94hp National gas engines were installed in 1909 and ran off town gas which was piped in from the neighbouring gas works, now demolished to make way for a supermarket and housing.

In 1909 the building you are in now was added and two gas engines were installed. These would pump the excess flood water and sewage into holding, or storm, tanks. These tanks were like large swimming pools and were outside beyond the fence, where houses are standing. The main Hathorn Davey steam engine pumps would continue to pump the rainwater and sewage to Milton. When the rain had subsided it would pump the contents of the holding tanks to the sewage farm at Milton.

Before the engines can be started they have to be in exactly the right position. The flywheel, which weighs 3.5 tons, is rotated by engaging the geared handwheel into the cogs on the flywheel. This is turned until the crankshaft is 30 degrees after top dead centre. These engines by the way are so solid that I can balance an old two bob bit on its side whilst the whole thing is in use and it will remain upright throughout. Anyway the mixture of gas and air is then pumped by hand into the combustion chamber or cylinder which burns and expands, driving the piston to turn the flywheel. The inertia of the flywheel keeps the engine turning, more gas and air are drawn into the cylinder and the mixture is ignited automaticallly by the spark from the magneto.

click here to enter theElectric Room