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Satellite)
The flywheel in the above photo is the brass wheel on the other side of the men and gauges. The two black wheels are reduction gears.
The boiler must be in the building on the left. The steam engine would be in the center of the building on the right. The six "black openings" contain the paddle wheels.
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I amsterdam posted
🤩 In the Flower Region you’ll find a unique monument: the Halfweg Steam Pumping Station. From 1852 to 1977, it pumped seepage and rainwater from 170 (!) polders into the sea, and today, it proudly stands as part of the Netherlands’ industrial heritage. 💧 😮 Fun fact: It’s the oldest and largest paddle wheel steam pumping station in the world that’s still in operation! |
It is a low-lift, high-flow pump.
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expatshaarlemmermeer
The 500 hp steam engine dates from 1923. I wonder how the paddles were powered between 1852 and 1923. |
It looks like they completely rebuilt the facility to add the newer steam engine.
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TripAdvisor
[Since 1500/60 = 25, I think the last paragraph specifies that it could pump 25 cubic meters/sec or 883cfs.]
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I found an English translation of the above plaque.
The Halfweg steam pumping station was built in 1852 and operated as a reservoir pumping station until April 20, 1977. The original pumping station consisted of the engine house, with the housing for the scoop wheels on either side.
The first 100-hp engine was replaced by a more powerful one in 1888. The paddle wheels were also enlarged. Because increased steam production became necessary, the current boiler house had to be built in 1888, in which four Lancashire boilers were installed. In 1923, the steam engine and its four boilers were replaced by the installation still in place today, consisting of two Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers and a 500-hp steam engine. Both the boilers and the engine were built by the engineering company Gebrs Stork & Co. in Hengelo.
Boiler 1 has been stripped of its brickwork, revealing the interior. Boiler 2 is operational and is still regularly fired with coal, allowing the steam engine to come into operation.
The paddle wheels have a diameter of 7.5 m and a width of 2 m. They can discharge 25 m³ of water per second, or 1,500 m³ per minute, 90,000 m³ per hour, and 2,160,000 m³ per day.
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fietsnetwerk
"Steam pumping station Halfweg is a scoop wheel steam pumping station dating from 1852 and is the oldest and largest scoop wheel steam pumping station in the world that is still active. After draining the Haarlemmermeer in 1852, the Rijnland Water Board had nowhere to store the excess water. To be able to drain off that water as quickly as possible, three secondary steam pumping stations were built of which Halfweg was one. The steam pumping station was in operation until 1977. In those 125 years, it moved a total of 14 billion cubic metres of water and used 40,000 tonnes of coal to do so. "Since 1986, the Friends of Steam Pumping Station Halfweg Foundation has been responsible for its maintenance and use as a national monument. Prince Claus reopened the steam pumping station in 1987 after a thorough restoration and since that day, the pumping station has been running under steam for the public several days a year. Add this piece of Dutch history and hydraulic engineering to your cycling route and check the website for the current steam days." |
This is what was in front of the Prince Claus in the above photo.
Evidently, if you rent the event space, you can start up the engine:
Are you looking for a unique location for meetings, presentations, business events or tourist visits, with a terrace on the waterfront? Then look no further than the steam-powered pumping station at Halfweg, the world’s oldest and biggest still operational scoop-wheel pumping station.
Experience how large parts of the Netherlands have been reclaimed from the water and kept dry to this day at this fine example of industrial heritage. Surprise your guests with a visit to the engine room with its monumental 500 hp steam engine and gigantic paddle-wheels capable of pumping 1.5 million litres of water per minute! On request, the mighty steam engine is set in motion and one of your guests can turn the big wheel to open the steam valve. An unforgettable experience! The museum offers various catering options, as well as audio and video equipment and free WiFi. The boiler house, the venue for receptions and presentations, hosts up to 100 people.
A better view of the flywheel and reduction gears.
This is the inlet side. The paddles go down here.
And this is the outlet side with the paddles going up.
And the water comes out here.
A closeup of the shaft and one of the bearings.
And a view on the opposite side of the engine shows how the shaft goes through the entire pump house.
