Manchester Hydraulic Power
Encyclopedia
Manchester's Hydraulic Power system was a public hydraulic power network supplying energy across the city of Manchester
via a system of high-pressure water pipes from three pumping stations from 1894 until 1972. The system, which providied a cleaner and more compact alternative to steam engine
s, was used to power workshop machinery, lift
s, cranes
and a large number of cotton baling presses as it was particularly useful for processes that required intermittent power. It was also used to wind the Manchester Town Hall
clock, pump the organ at Manchester Cathedral
and raise the safety curtain at the Manchester Opera House
in Quay Street.
Manchester Corporation opened its first pumping station in 1894, following the pioneering schemes in Kingston-upon-Hull and London
. The scheme was a success, with additional pumping stations being added in 1899 and 1909, to cope with the demand for power. Modernisation started in the 1920s, when the original steam pumps were replaced by electric motors at two of the pumping stations. The greatest volume of water was supplied in the 1920s, although the length of the water mains continued to increase until 1948. Usage started to decrease in the 1930s, and the first pumping station was closed in 1939. By the 1960s, there were serious concerns about the state of some of the equipment and corrosion in the high-pressure mains, and in 1968 the Corporation announced their intent to switch the system off, which they did at the end of 1972.
The grade II listed pumping station built in Baroque
style at Water Street has found new life as part of the People's History Museum
, while one of the pump sets has been restored and is displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry
, where it forms part of a larger display about hydraulic power.
had registered a patent at the London Patent Office
on 29 April 1812, for the distribution of high-pressure water via a ring main, and the engineer William Armstrong had been installing hydraulic systems for single customers since the 1840s, the first installation of a public hydraulic power network had only become operational in Kingston-upon-Hull in 1876. Edward B Ellington
was the man responsible, and went on to create the General Hydraulic Power Company, from which developed the London Hydraulic Power Company
. With the technology now well tried, and Ellington's model of marketing hydraulic power as a public utility having proved successful, Manchester Corporation obtained an act of Parliament
in 1891, which would authorise them to build a network to distribute hydraulic power to the city.
The Corporation had the advantage over a private company that they did not have to apply for permission to dig up the streets in order to install the network of high-pressure water mains. The pumping station was situated on Whitworth Street West, between Oxford Road railway station and the Rochdale Canal
. The working pressure was set at 1120 pound per square inches (77.2 bar), much higher than the 700 pound per square inches (48.3 bar) of the London system, because it was expected that much of the power would be used for baling cotton, and the extra pressure was dictated by the design of existing baling equipment. The pressure was supplied by six triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 200 hp each, and was maintained by two hydraulic accumulator
s, with pistons of 18 inches (457.2 mm) diameter, a stroke of 23 feet (7 m), and loaded with 127 tonnes. The equipment was supplied by Ellington's company. The installation was completed by 1894, and by 1895 there were 12 miles (19 km) of hydraulic pipes under the city streets, providing power for 247 machines.
Demand for the utility was high, and a second pumping station commenced operation on 6 July 1899. This was constructed at Pott Street in Ancoats
, close to the Rochdale Canal, and initially had four pumping engines and two accumulators. The number of engines was eventually increased to seven, six of 210 hp and one of 350 hp. A third pumping station was soon required, which was constructed between Water Street and the River Irwell
. Again, it had two accumulators, and six steam engines. Coal for the engines was delivered by boat, and it began operating on 14 October 1909. Although all three pumping stations were situated beside waterways, the water supply for the system was obtained from boreholes. That at Whitworth Street was 613 feet (186.8 m) deep, and the water at all three was raised by compressed air delivery systems, which lasted until 1948, when they were superseded by submersible pumps. By the 1930s, the system had grown to 35 miles (56 km) of pipes working some 2400 machines.
Replacement of the steam engines began in 1922, at Whitworth Street. Four of the pumping engines were removed altogether, to be replaced by electrically driven centrifugal pump
s. This work was completed by 1924. The following year, the remaining two were treated differently, as the pumps were retained, but the steam cylinders were removed, and the flywheels were replaced by a helical gear drive, to connect the pumps to 220 hp electric motors. These were variable speed direct current devices, and a motor converter set had to be installed, to provide the low voltage DC supply from the incoming high voltage alternating current supply. The motor converter set had been built in 1914, and was obtained second-hand. The pumps at the Water Street station were converted to electrical operation in a similar manner soon afterwards.
became more popular, but although the number of customers dropped, the supply pipes continued to be extended until they reached their maximum length of 35.5 miles (57.1 km) in 1948. The Pott Street pumping station was closed in 1939. By the 1960s, the motor converter set was 50 years old, and most of the pumps were older still. The effects of corrosion on high-pressure water mains were also a cause for concern. In 1964, a similar system in Glasgow, opened a year later than the Manchester system and also using water at 1120 psi (77.2 bar) was switched off and some of the equipment was used to refit Whitworth Street station. The two centrifugal pumps and one of the converted steam pumps were removed, to be replaced by two high-speed reciprocating pumps obtained from Glasgow. Although not ideal for a diminishing network, because they were fixed speed devices, they provided a back-up system if there were problems at Water Street.
By 1968, the length of pressure main had been reduced to 26 miles (41.8 km), and the Waterworks Committee gave notice to all 120 customers that the system would be shut down in four years' time. By that time, the stations were supplying 2 million gallons (9.1 Megalitres) of pressurised water per year, down from the 360 million gallons (1,600 Ml) which were supplied when the system was at its peak. The system was formally switched off on 28 December 1972, when the Chairman of the Waterworks Committee stopped the pumps at a ceremony.
, Pott Street and Water Street.
The Whitworth Street station was opened in 1894. It was located on the banks of the Rochdale Canal
, between the canal and Oxford Road railway station. It was the first to be upgraded to electrical operation, but was little used after 1964, as it held equipment bought from Glasgow, which was only used as a backup. Following the closure of the system, its contents were sold for scrap and the building was demolished.
Pott Street station was located in Ancoats and opened in 1899. It was not electrified, and was shut down in 1939. Both its site and Pott Street have now disappeared, as they now form part of the car park at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats.
The third station was at Water Street, on the banks of the River Irwell
. It was completed in 1909, and was designed in Baroque
style by the architect Henry Price
. The station was electrified in 1925, and was the location for the final shut-down ceremony at the end of 1972. Following closure, it was used as a workshop by the City College
. In 1992, it became a grade II listed structure, and since 1994 has been part of the People's History Museum
complex. One of the pump sets has been moved to the Museum of Science and Industry
, where it has been restored to working order and forms part of a larger display about hydraulic power. The pumps were made by the Manchester firm of Galloways
. It is now referred to as the Bridge Street station, because the part of Water Street on which it stood has disappeared in the redevelopment of the area.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
via a system of high-pressure water pipes from three pumping stations from 1894 until 1972. The system, which providied a cleaner and more compact alternative to steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, was used to power workshop machinery, lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, cranes
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
and a large number of cotton baling presses as it was particularly useful for processes that required intermittent power. It was also used to wind the Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
clock, pump the organ at Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral is a medieval church on Victoria Street in central Manchester and is the seat of the Bishop of Manchester. The cathedral's official name is The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester...
and raise the safety curtain at the Manchester Opera House
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is the sister to the Palace Theatre which is a similar venue in nearby Oxford Street at its junction with Whitworth...
in Quay Street.
Manchester Corporation opened its first pumping station in 1894, following the pioneering schemes in Kingston-upon-Hull and London
London Hydraulic Power Company
The London Hydraulic Power Company was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1883 to install a hydraulic power network of high-pressure cast iron water mains under London. It was the successor to the Steam Wharf and Warehouse Company, founded in 1871 by Edward B Ellington...
. The scheme was a success, with additional pumping stations being added in 1899 and 1909, to cope with the demand for power. Modernisation started in the 1920s, when the original steam pumps were replaced by electric motors at two of the pumping stations. The greatest volume of water was supplied in the 1920s, although the length of the water mains continued to increase until 1948. Usage started to decrease in the 1930s, and the first pumping station was closed in 1939. By the 1960s, there were serious concerns about the state of some of the equipment and corrosion in the high-pressure mains, and in 1968 the Corporation announced their intent to switch the system off, which they did at the end of 1972.
The grade II listed pumping station built in Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style at Water Street has found new life as part of the People's History Museum
People's History Museum
The People's History Museum in Manchester, England is the United Kingdom's national centre for the collection, conservation, interpretation and study of material relating to the history of working people in the UK...
, while one of the pump sets has been restored and is displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England, is a large museum devoted to the development of science, technology, and industry with emphasis on the city's achievements in these fields...
, where it forms part of a larger display about hydraulic power.
History
While Joseph BramahJoseph Bramah
Joseph Bramah , born Stainborough Lane Farm, Wentworth, Yorkshire, England, was an inventor and locksmith. He is best known for having invented the hydraulic press...
had registered a patent at the London Patent Office
Patent office
A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether or not the application fulfils the requirements for...
on 29 April 1812, for the distribution of high-pressure water via a ring main, and the engineer William Armstrong had been installing hydraulic systems for single customers since the 1840s, the first installation of a public hydraulic power network had only become operational in Kingston-upon-Hull in 1876. Edward B Ellington
Edward B Ellington
Edward Bayzard Ellington was a British hydraulic engineer. He was managing director of the Hydraulic Engineering Co of Chester and one of the founders, as well as Chief Engineer and Manager, of the London Hydraulic Power Company...
was the man responsible, and went on to create the General Hydraulic Power Company, from which developed the London Hydraulic Power Company
London Hydraulic Power Company
The London Hydraulic Power Company was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1883 to install a hydraulic power network of high-pressure cast iron water mains under London. It was the successor to the Steam Wharf and Warehouse Company, founded in 1871 by Edward B Ellington...
. With the technology now well tried, and Ellington's model of marketing hydraulic power as a public utility having proved successful, Manchester Corporation obtained an act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1891, which would authorise them to build a network to distribute hydraulic power to the city.
The Corporation had the advantage over a private company that they did not have to apply for permission to dig up the streets in order to install the network of high-pressure water mains. The pumping station was situated on Whitworth Street West, between Oxford Road railway station and the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
. The working pressure was set at 1120 pound per square inches (77.2 bar), much higher than the 700 pound per square inches (48.3 bar) of the London system, because it was expected that much of the power would be used for baling cotton, and the extra pressure was dictated by the design of existing baling equipment. The pressure was supplied by six triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 200 hp each, and was maintained by two hydraulic accumulator
Hydraulic accumulator
A 'hydraulic accumulator' is an energy storage device. It is a pressure storage reservoir in which a non-compressible hydraulic fluid is held under pressure by an external source. That external source can be a spring, a raised weight, or a compressed gas...
s, with pistons of 18 inches (457.2 mm) diameter, a stroke of 23 feet (7 m), and loaded with 127 tonnes. The equipment was supplied by Ellington's company. The installation was completed by 1894, and by 1895 there were 12 miles (19 km) of hydraulic pipes under the city streets, providing power for 247 machines.
Demand for the utility was high, and a second pumping station commenced operation on 6 July 1899. This was constructed at Pott Street in Ancoats
Ancoats
Ancoats is an inner city area of Manchester, in North West England, next to the Northern Quarter and the northern part of Manchester's commercial centre....
, close to the Rochdale Canal, and initially had four pumping engines and two accumulators. The number of engines was eventually increased to seven, six of 210 hp and one of 350 hp. A third pumping station was soon required, which was constructed between Water Street and the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
. Again, it had two accumulators, and six steam engines. Coal for the engines was delivered by boat, and it began operating on 14 October 1909. Although all three pumping stations were situated beside waterways, the water supply for the system was obtained from boreholes. That at Whitworth Street was 613 feet (186.8 m) deep, and the water at all three was raised by compressed air delivery systems, which lasted until 1948, when they were superseded by submersible pumps. By the 1930s, the system had grown to 35 miles (56 km) of pipes working some 2400 machines.
Replacement of the steam engines began in 1922, at Whitworth Street. Four of the pumping engines were removed altogether, to be replaced by electrically driven centrifugal pump
Centrifugal pump
A centrifugal pump is a rotodynamic pump that uses a rotating impeller to create flow by the addition of energy to a fluid. Centrifugal pumps are commonly used to move liquids through piping...
s. This work was completed by 1924. The following year, the remaining two were treated differently, as the pumps were retained, but the steam cylinders were removed, and the flywheels were replaced by a helical gear drive, to connect the pumps to 220 hp electric motors. These were variable speed direct current devices, and a motor converter set had to be installed, to provide the low voltage DC supply from the incoming high voltage alternating current supply. The motor converter set had been built in 1914, and was obtained second-hand. The pumps at the Water Street station were converted to electrical operation in a similar manner soon afterwards.
Decline
The demand for hydraulic power began to fall in the 1930s, as electric powerElectric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
became more popular, but although the number of customers dropped, the supply pipes continued to be extended until they reached their maximum length of 35.5 miles (57.1 km) in 1948. The Pott Street pumping station was closed in 1939. By the 1960s, the motor converter set was 50 years old, and most of the pumps were older still. The effects of corrosion on high-pressure water mains were also a cause for concern. In 1964, a similar system in Glasgow, opened a year later than the Manchester system and also using water at 1120 psi (77.2 bar) was switched off and some of the equipment was used to refit Whitworth Street station. The two centrifugal pumps and one of the converted steam pumps were removed, to be replaced by two high-speed reciprocating pumps obtained from Glasgow. Although not ideal for a diminishing network, because they were fixed speed devices, they provided a back-up system if there were problems at Water Street.
By 1968, the length of pressure main had been reduced to 26 miles (41.8 km), and the Waterworks Committee gave notice to all 120 customers that the system would be shut down in four years' time. By that time, the stations were supplying 2 million gallons (9.1 Megalitres) of pressurised water per year, down from the 360 million gallons (1,600 Ml) which were supplied when the system was at its peak. The system was formally switched off on 28 December 1972, when the Chairman of the Waterworks Committee stopped the pumps at a ceremony.
Pumping stations
The three hydraulic power stations were located at Whitworth Street WestWhitworth Street
Whitworth Street is a street in Manchester, England. It runs between London Road and Oxford Street . West of Oxford Street it becomes Whitworth Street West which then goes as far as Deansgate . It was opened in 1899 and is lined with many large and grand warehouses. It is named after the engineer...
, Pott Street and Water Street.
The Whitworth Street station was opened in 1894. It was located on the banks of the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
, between the canal and Oxford Road railway station. It was the first to be upgraded to electrical operation, but was little used after 1964, as it held equipment bought from Glasgow, which was only used as a backup. Following the closure of the system, its contents were sold for scrap and the building was demolished.
Pott Street station was located in Ancoats and opened in 1899. It was not electrified, and was shut down in 1939. Both its site and Pott Street have now disappeared, as they now form part of the car park at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats.
The third station was at Water Street, on the banks of the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
. It was completed in 1909, and was designed in Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style by the architect Henry Price
Henry Price (architect)
John Henry Price – more commonly referred to as Henry Price – was the first person to hold the office of 'City Architect' in Manchester Corporation's newly created City Architect's Department of 1902...
. The station was electrified in 1925, and was the location for the final shut-down ceremony at the end of 1972. Following closure, it was used as a workshop by the City College
City College Manchester
City College Manchester was a network of further education campuses in Manchester, England.It was the largest provider of "Offender Learning" in the Greater Manchester region.-Merger with MANCAT in 2008:...
. In 1992, it became a grade II listed structure, and since 1994 has been part of the People's History Museum
People's History Museum
The People's History Museum in Manchester, England is the United Kingdom's national centre for the collection, conservation, interpretation and study of material relating to the history of working people in the UK...
complex. One of the pump sets has been moved to the Museum of Science and Industry
Museum of Science and Industry
MOSI may refer to:* MoSi — molybdenum silicide, an important material in the semiconductor industry* MOSI - Master Out Slave In, a signal on the Serial Peripheral Interface Bus* MOSI protocol, an extension of the basic MSI cache coherency protocol...
, where it has been restored to working order and forms part of a larger display about hydraulic power. The pumps were made by the Manchester firm of Galloways
W & J Galloway & Sons
W & J Galloway and Sons was a British manufacturer of steam engines and boilers, based in Manchester, England. The firm was established in 1835 as a partnership of two brothers, William and John Galloway. The partnership expanded to encompass their sons and in 1889 it was restructured as a limited...
. It is now referred to as the Bridge Street station, because the part of Water Street on which it stood has disappeared in the redevelopment of the area.
External links
- People's History Museum
- Museum of Science & Industry: Water Power
- Hydraulic power in London from Subterranea Britannica including photographs.