Saturday 16th March
and I paid another visit to Kempton Steam Museum to see what is believed to be the largest running steam engine in the world. Located in the Kempton Park Water Works in the New Engine House (completed in 1929) the Sir William Prescott Engine is 62 feet tall, weighs 800 tons and is named after the then chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board.
One weekend a month from March to November the museum have a steaming weekend on which they run the huge triple expansion steam engine that once supplied fresh drinking water to much of London. If it looks familiar that might be because it has stood in on film on several occasions for the engines of RMS Titanic, whose engines were very similar but are now unavailable for filming 😉
As well as The Sir William Prescott the museum contains two steam turbine pumps (not working) and a wealth of other associated waterworks equipment to see and lots of information and audiovisuals to keep the kids amused.
At the other end of the engine house sits The Lady Bessie Prescott Engine. This is the second of the pair and is not currently running, which means they give free guided tours of it from top to bottom. I've been up it before but not this time as the next free slot wasn't for about two and a half hours alas 🙁 The museum hope to have Lady Bessie running as well within the next five years 🙂
If you can get to Kempton Park for a steaming weekend do it, you're not going to see its like anywhere else.
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