| Description | Water Works Engines (24 items).
1116. Chelsea Water Works, Pimlico Wharf, London (CW). Jan., Aug., Oct., Dec. 1803, Mar., Oct. 1804. 24 items.
Single-acting engine, with 48 inch cylinder, 8 foot stroke, parallel motion, [cast iron beam].
Proposals for a crank engine:
"A Mode of Working a Force and Lift Pump by a Single Engine, A Mode of Working 2 Lift Pumps by a Single Engine, A Mode of Working 2 Lift Pumps either by a Single or Double Engine, A View of a Bucket, A Mode of Working 2 Lift Pumps by a Double Engine" - 5 partially coloured drawings on 1 sheet, mostly showing pumps worked by a pump beam connected to the main beam of an engine.
Coloured original and reverse side view of the air vessels and pumps, plan of the engine house and pumps, 5 Jan. 1803 (these drawings show a crank engine working 3 pump beams by means of wheels and a crank shaft); coloured original and reverse side view of the air vessels and pumps and cross-section of the boiler house, plan of the engine and boiler houses and pumps, 10 Jan. 1803 (these drawings show a similar design to that of the drawings made on 5 Jan.).
Single-acting engine:
Reverse cross-section of the engine house and boiler, plan of the engine house and boiler, outside view of the lever wall, longitudinal section of the engine house, longitudinal section of boiler (partially shaded); reverse plan of the engine and boiler, side view of the engine; pump and air vessel - shaded reverse drawing with extensive pencil alterations; jackhead and clack piece and suction pipe, elevation and plan of the pump and air vessel etc., bang apparatus, pump bucket - reverse drawing. All these drawings bear letter codes.
Also sketches and notes on the air vessel, connecting pipe - notes sent to the Foundry; note from William Brunton to Abraham Storey requesting the pattern for the bucket (this is attached to a sketch of the pump for engine YY (for the Caledonian Canal - see Portfolio 5/600); coloured proposed [?] plan of the engine houses showing this engine and the "Old Engine" [circa 1801 - date taken from the watermark]; coloured plan of engine house and "present engine well" and section of the well; original portfolio cover, with newspaper cutting about an accident with the engine, 10 Apr. 1805.
Original Portfolio or 'Book' No. 502. Catalogue of Old Engines p. 178.
For the Chelsea Water Works. Pumping engine, Pimlico Wharf, London. This engine was described in detail by John Farey in A Treatise on the Steam Engine, p. 715-723, plates XXIII and XXIV. Chelsea Water Works bought several engines other than this one. The first was in 1777-1778 [see Portfolio 5/1103]. John Farey described an engine with a fly wheel and rotative motion erected in 1782 at Pimlico Wharf [A Treatise on the Steam Engine, p. 352]; when he inspected it in 1803-1804 it had a crank. Dickinson & Jenkins describe this engine as being similar to the rotative one proposed for the New River Co. in 1782-1783 [see Portfolio 5/1090], but no drawings specifically for Chelsea have been found. This engine followed in 1803-1804. In 1810 the firm bought a 50 inch engine [see Portfolio 5/1117], and in 1821 a 54 inch engine was ordered [see Portfolio 5/1115] and erected alongside the 50 inch.
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