Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology.

David O'Reilly

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scotto
09-19-2005, 05:22 AM
If you are looking for something to do with the kids that doesn't cost a fortune, located on Woodward and just a stone throw from the Beach Strip is Hamilton's first waterworks, now called Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology.
This mid-Victorian facility, completed in 1859, used steam power to pump all the city's water until 1910 and served as a backup until 1938, you may recall the 150-feet-high chimney being restored a few years back. There are two sections: the Boiler-house, now the entrance gift shop-rotating exhibit space, and the Pumphouse, it was my first visit to the Museum even though it is located right in our backyard.”

Scott, do you know how far down the foundation for the chimney gos? And do you know how the beach was excavated for the foundation? Digging a hole of any depth in sand, is verry difficult , given that the sand falls in on itself.

In her thread ‘From Outlet to Canal’ Drogo has coppied an 1881 news paper article that highlighted the difficulties that the planners of the Burlington Canal were faced with, given that the canal was to be cut through the sand bar. So while not nearly as large, I’m sure that the excavation of the foundation for the chimney, and the filtering basins themselves, would have presented similar chalenges.

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2229.html
 

scotto

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In her thread ‘From Outlet to Canal’ Drogo has coppied an 1881 news paper article that highlighted the difficulties that the planners of the Burlington Canal were faced with, given that the canal was to be cut through the sand bar. So while not nearly as large, I’m sure that the excavation of the foundation for the chimney, and the filtering basins themselves, would have presented similar chalenges.

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2229.html
I will have to through some of the books I have to see if there is anything about early construction of pumping station, the ground level in that area is pretty low so yes, any deep foundations would of been a challenge.
 

David O'Reilly

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Fred Briggs
12-29-2012, 07:55 PM
“Great Pictures! A Great Link!
I loved the tour, and I have my own copy of "Hamilton's Old Pump". For those who want more of the story than is on the link, try the book! (Public Library?)
I've been asked by an interested observer to point out that the "Water Works" was in full production in 1860, but there was no railway siding for the delivery of coal until 1880. That's a lot of cart traffic!
Here's a link to a web site about the Hamilton and North Western Railway.
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/industrial/hamiltonnw.htm
This link also has some good links about that railway that used to run along the Beach, but I found the date for the completion of the Water Works siding or spur under "Beach Road and Beach Stops" on page 110 in "Hamilton's Other Railway" by Charles Cooper.”

Scott and Fred, when did the pump house stop operating? And was it coal fired right to the end?
 

scotto

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Scott and Fred, when did the pump house stop operating? And was it coal fired right to the end?
It stopped operating in 1910 and was on stand-by until 1938 when it was completely removed from service. Although hydro-electric power was brought in, it was considered undependable in the day and coal was used until the very end.
(Thanks to the staff of the Steam Museum)
I was given an information pamphlet on the early days of the museum;

Hamilton's First Pumphouse.

Welcome to the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology
The Museum is located in the original 1859 Hamilton Waterworks and showcases two 45-foot high, 70-ton steam-powered pumping engines that supplied the City of Hamilton with clean drinking water from 1859 to 1910.
The pumping engines were made in Dundas, Canada West, and at the time, were cutting-edge technology. Today, they are the oldest surviving examples of their kind in North America, and the Waterworks complex is a National Historic Site and Civil and Power Engineering Landmark.
The museum offers guided tours of the original Waterworks, and presents various permanent and changing exhibits. The museum also features a wide range of special events that are fun for the whole family. Feel free to ask, call, or email about upcoming events and exhibits.



from the London Illustrated News, 1860: The completion of the architecturally magnificent waterworks with its powerful pumping engines was an extraordinary accomplishment for a community of 27,500. With pride and excitement, the Hamilton Waterworks was officially opened on September 19, 1860 when His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) inaugurated the pumphouse.
 

scotto

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Victorian Hamilton
The 1850s were a prosperous time in Hamilton. New factories and businesses were being established, the Great Western Railway had located its headquarters and largest railway shops in the city, and Hamilton's population was rising rapidly past 10,000 inhabitants. The growing city was at the heart of the emerging Canadian Industrial Revolution.
Urbanization, however, had its costs. In the early days, residents drew water from the city's public wells or purchased it from private suppliers. As the population grew, the water became contaminated by industrial, household, and human waste.
The pollution led to the spread of cholera; the curse of 19th century urbanization. Cholera wiped out entire families. Victims suffered terrible fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and often death. People lived in terror of a disease that attacked without discrimination for age, class or religion. During the summer of 1854, cholera claimed over 500 lives in Hamilton.
By mid-century, the new science of epidemiology was proving that people who drank clean water were far less likely to develop cholera than those who drank polluted water. Armed with this new knowledge, the City of Hamilton decided to find a way to provide clean water to all its residents.
The new Waterworks would not only provide Hamiltonians with water for private consumption, but also provide water for fire hydrants. These would help to diminish destruction caused by fires, and to reduce the high fire insurance rates that many believed were inhibiting Hamilton's commercial and industrial expansion.

Designing the Waterworks
Thomas Coltrin Keefer (1821 - 1915) was Chief Engineer of the Hamilton Waterworks from 1857-1860. He designed and constructed the system which supplied the City of Hamilton with clean drinking water.
Keefer recommended pumping water from Lake Ontario to a reservoir on the escarpment. From the reservoir, water would flow, via gravity, to downtown Hamilton. Keefer provided detailed plans for the pumping engines, and surveys for the excavations of the reservoir, filtering basins and pipe tracks.
To raise water from the lake to the reservoir, the waterworks required steam-powered pumps. Keefer selected two independently operating 70 ton Woolf Compound Rotative Beam Engines and four Cornish-style boilers. These engines were chosen for their high efficiency, reliability, and steady action. They were built by John Gartshore's Dundas Iron and Brass Foundry in Dundas, Canada West.
Thomas Keefer is one of Canada's most prolific civil engineers. He also consulted and designed hydraulic systems for Quebec City, Toronto, St. Catharines, London, St. John, Halifax and Dartmouth. His professional ethics and civil engineering practices established the profession of civil engineering in Canada.

How the pumping engines worked...
Coal stored in the Woodshed was used to boil water and create steam in the Boilerhouse. The steam was then directed into the cylinders located in the Engine house.
The expanding force of steam is very powerful. When water is boiled, the evaporating gas expands to 1700 times its original volume. Steam created in a boiler builds up tremendous heat and pressure. When steam pressure is directed into the cylinders of the engine, it pushes the pistons within the cylinders up and down.
The pumphouse cylinders are 'double acting' which means that the steam can be directed into the cylinder alternately from above or below the piston. When the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, fresh steam enters the cylinder above the piston and forces the piston back down, and vice versa.
The piston rods are connected to one end of the walking beam, and as they push and pull the walking beam up and down, the pump rod on the other end of the walking beam moves up and down in the opposite direction.
The up and down action of the pump rod drew water into the pump itself and forced it out under pressure through a pipe to the reservoir. The flywheel gives the engine momentum and rotates a camshaft which lifts and drops intake and exhaust valves which allow steam to enter and leave the cylinders.
Once the steam leaves the cylinders, it is drawn into a condenser which transforms the steam back into hot water which, in turn, is then pumped back into the boilers.

The Gartshore Engines
The pumphouse engines are known as Woolf Compound, Rotative, Double Acting Engines and they were made by John Gartshore's Dundas Iron and Brass Foundry in Dundas.
This engine type was one of the most efficient engines available to engineers of the day, and supplied water to the City of Hamilton for 51 years.




Later History
In 1882, to meet the increased demand for water from new industries, replacement boilers and pumps nearly doubled the capacity of the station. Hamilton's industrial growth, however, soon outgrew this new capacity. A new station, using Hamilton-made Osborne-Kiley engines, was erected in 1887 adjacent to the first pumphouse.
In 1910, an electrically powered station was built and daily use of the 1859 Waterworks was stopped, however, the steam engines remained on stand-by service until 1938.
 

scotto

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The Waterworks Complex
The largest building in the waterworks complex is the engine house. It was described at the time as 'the best piece of hydraulic masonry to be seen anywhere'. Originally, visitors approached the waterworks from the lake side along a curved lane. This provided the visitor with a direct and dramatic view of the waterworks. The 150 foot tall chimney was the tallest structure in the area at that time, and served as a landmark for people traveling to Hamilton.



The original open reservoir was made from puddling clay, rubble masonry and limestone blocks with a cement border. Pumps, working in conjunction with gravity, directed water down the escarpment to the
City's inhabitants. Remnants of the original reservoir are located halfway up the Niagara Escarpment just off the Kenilworth Access.



Working Conditions
The complex was run by two teams of at least three men: a stoker or fireman, an oiler and two engineers (one Chief Engineer and one Shift Engineer) who traded between the 11 hour day shift and the 13 hour night shift.



Working at the site could be both unpleasant and hazardous. Temperatures in the boilerhouse reached 120° F (45° C) and there was the ever present danger of a boiler explosion. The stoker or fireman manually fed up to 300 Ibs (140kg) of coal per hour, per engine into the boilers! He also cleaned the boilers regularly by climbing into the stuffy and dark interior to chip out the scale build-up.
In the pumphouse, the mutton fat based oil spread a rancid smell throughout the building. The poor lighting added to the threat of burns or getting caught in the moving engine. Oilers cleaned the engines and tended the approximately 100 oil cups in each engine. These tasks required skill since they were performed constantly while the engines were running.
Despite these drawbacks, the steady cash wages and the on-site lodgings provided for the men and their families made employment at the pump desirable. Employees were paid the very good wage of about $1.00 a day; the Chief Engineer received about $2.00 a day.

The waterworks was built to deliver large quantities of clean water to a rapidly growing city. The creation of the waterworks was a municipal project which addressed the emerging issues of public health, fire protection, and economic development. Its purpose was to allow Hamilton to grow while still remaining a healthy and prosperous city.
Today, the 1859 Waterworks is a National Historic Site and a Civil Engineering Landmark. It is a rare surviving example of an early waterworks system in Canada. The engines and buildings illustrate the sophistication and exceptional skill local engineers and manufacturers had at the beginning of the Canadian Industrial Revolution.
 

scotto

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This article from Raise The Hammer was sent in by David;

"In the nineteenth century, most fine buildings in Hamilton were built from two locally quarried stones: sandstone from quarries near the base of the Mountain, and dolomite from quarries on the Mountain. Both were used in the Pumphouse, constructed in 1859. For its history, see Hamilton's Old Pump House; for more photos see Historical Hamilton."

Read More;
http://raisethehammer.org/article/1438/hamilton_building_stone
And;
http://www.cwwa.ca/pdf_files/Steam_Museum.pdf
Also from David;
A history paper on the life of John Gartshore, the owner of the Dundas company that built the Woolf Compound, Rotative, Double Acting Engines. I have added a word document of the relevant pages from the paper, the complete copy can be read here;
http://www.eic-ici.ca/hawp14.pdf (Sorry but this link seems to have moved or gone missing, I will try and track it down)

(One added note, the paper states that water was pumped from Burlington Bay, from everything I have read it was always pumped from Lake Ontario)
 

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scotto

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From today's Spec

Mahoney: Museum's parody video gathering steam

MUSEUM DANCE OFF

By Jeff Mahoney

Jeff Mahoney's column explores the rise of the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology's video that has made it to the finals and is one of three vying for the top spot in a worldwide competition. Voting is open to the public and closes Tuesday at 8 a.m. Watch the video and vote at http://whenyouworkatamuseum.com/
Read More;
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4580278-mahoney-museum-s-parody-video-gathering-steam/

Added;
A history of waste water in Hamilton

 

scotto

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Just to add....

From the book "A Mountain and a City" The Story of Hamilton by Marjorie Freeman Campbell.
(Pages 117 to 119)

As with Hamilton sewers, planning and pressure for waterworks dated from 1835 when tenders for their construction were called for and an award of five pounds paid a Mr. McPowers for the winning plan. Again, as with sewers, waterworks waited on municipal funds, and hundreds of wells, private and public, remained the source of water for household, commercial, industrial and civic purposes. Periodically the medical profession or Hamilton's health officer would warn of the danger of an epidemic in the existing fraternal relationship of wells, privies and cess pools, while the chief engineer of the local fire brigade would stress that with the available water a major fire could threaten the whole community.
Although a then crystal clear Lake Ontario lay at the city's door,
suggestions for city water included sources as far afield as the River
Maitland, Township of Arthur; Lake Medad, northeast of Waterdown; and even the Grand River. Others advocated tapping the springs on the mountainside, thereby providing the secondary benefit of saving the city its seasonal floodings; diverting the Ancaster stream at the mountain top; and sinking an artesian well. In January, 1855, Mr. McElroy's plan for waterworks received first prize in a city-sponsored competition judged by Thomas Coltrin Keefer, chief engineer of the Montreal Water Board and a prominent consulting engineer, who now became associate engineer at Hamilton.
Although Mr. McElroy's plan featured water from Burlington Bay and a reservoir in Dundurn park, Mr. Keefer recommended that city water be pumped from Lake Ontario. Obviously the Montreal engineer mistrusted the bay as a future source of pure water; and gravity sources, while of sufficient capacity for the present city of twenty thousand, would prove inadequate, said Mr. Keefer, for the future fifty thousand or more of population he foresaw.
First unit in the waterworks system consisted of a 1,2OO-foot basin excavated on the lakeside of the Burlington sandstrip, just north of the earlier King's Head Inn. Today, filled in, this lies immediately west of the modern concrete swimming pool at Lakeland Beach. Built without intake pipe or connection with the lake, the i6-foot-deep basin depended on water filtering through the sand. From the basin the filtered water flowed by gravity through a large wooden pipe to the suction well of the pumping station some 2,000 feet inland.
From this well the pumping plant (today still standing on the east side of Woodward Avenue above Beach Road) lifted the water across country to Ottawa Street and from there south to the Barton storage reservoir on the mountainside. To bring water into the city proper a large distribution main was laid along Main Street to James, from which auxiliary mains were run for domestic and fire department purposes.
Authorized by an act passed by the legislature on June 19th, 1856, the new works were officially inaugurated by H.R.H. Edward Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, during his 1860 visit to Hamilton. Following a state luncheon at the Royal Hotel on September 19th the party proceeded to the pumping station where young Adam Brown, water commission chairman, delivered an address and the prince turned on the steam in the two engines, whose wheels were covered for the occasion with red velvet.
Prior to this, however, two tests of the waterworks system had been made. On May 24th, 1859, before full completion of the mains, the pumping station was turned on at the fire department's annual parade held in Court House Square. So successful was this that a formal display was arranged on the Gore for June 2nd.
Invited to attend by the water commissioners were city officials, members of the annual Wesleyan conference then meeting in the city, and a thousand pupils of Hamilton's famous Central School, opened in May, 18535 as the first representative graded common school in the province. With the interest in youth notable throughout his near-century of life, Adam Brown chose the two head boys of Central to turn on the water.
Under the intent gaze of their fellow students lining the north side of King Street and of the Fire Brigade under Chief Engineer Thomas Gray massed on the south, sixteen-year-old Johnny Gibson (later Major-General the Hon. Sir John M. Gibson, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario) and George Craigie, grandson of Dr. William Craigie, turned the taps that shot a stream of water ninety feet into the air.3 When firemen played two intersecting streams from hydrants across this geyser the delighted spectators greeted the tableau with shouts and cheers.
That lie works constructed under direction of a five-man board of water commissioners were substantial and durable is beyond denial. The reservoir, now far inside the city, still holds its place and use on a mountainside scrolled with the intricacies of modern access roads, while the pump house and its machinery is a museum piece, unused since 1920, but still capable of running efficiently.
Described as resembling "a fortress without and a Greek temple within," with dramatic polished black steel columns and fluted rods extending from floor to ceiling, the waterworks plant with its three-foot stone walls lined with brick, flooring of three-inch-thick solid white oak, and with its imposing machinery was second in Canada only to that of Montreal. The huge "walking beams" and the pumps with their 23-ton flywheels driven by steam from four boilers were built by the John Gait-shore Company of Dundas. Oldtimers can still recall the schooners that unloaded slab wood at Van Wagner's beach to feed the boilers. Looming to a height of 150 feet the chimney of the plant was a landmark visible for leagues to sailors on the lake.
From the standpoint of efficiency the water commissioners succeeded admirably. From the standpoint of economy and moderation in view of the widespread depression following the United States' crash of 1857, and the precarious condition of the corporation's finances, the commissioners were less successful. In 1860 the works had cost the city $900,000.
Faced with alarmingly rising expenditures for which by terms of the Waterworks Act council was responsible and yet over which it had no control (the commissioners having authority to issue city debentures for works construction without consulting council) the latter body had unsuccessfully sought transfer of waterworks management from the commissioners to the corporation. The waterworks were the crowning achievement of an era of civic extravagance which day by day was irrevocably reducing the once solvent city to bankruptcy.


Source, Brock University Library;
 

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David O'Reilly

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scotto
06-08-2014, 12:57 AM
Victorian Hamilton
“The 1850s were a prosperous time in Hamilton. New factories and businesses were being established, the Great Western Railway had located its headquarters and largest railway shops in the city, and Hamilton's population was rising rapidly past 10,000 inhabitants. The growing city was at the heart of the emerging Canadian Industrial Revolution.
Urbanization, however, had its costs. In the early days, residents drew water from the city's public wells or purchased it from private suppliers. As the population grew, the water became contaminated by industrial, household, and human waste.
The pollution led to the spread of cholera; the curse of 19th century urbanization. Cholera wiped out entire families. Victims suffered terrible fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and often death. People lived in terror of a disease that attacked without discrimination for age, class or religion. During the summer of 1854, cholera claimed over 500 lives in Hamilton.
By mid-century, the new science of epidemiology was proving that people who drank clean water were far less likely to develop cholera than those who drank polluted water. Armed with this new knowledge, the City of Hamilton decided to find a way to provide clean water to all its residents.
The new Waterworks would not only provide Hamiltonians with water for private consumption, but also provide water for fire hydrants. These would help to diminish destruction caused by fires, and to reduce the high fire insurance rates that many believed were inhibiting Hamilton's commercial and industrial expansion.

Designing the Waterworks
Thomas Coltrin Keefer (1821 - 1915) was Chief Engineer of the Hamilton Waterworks from 1857-1860. He designed and constructed the system which supplied the City of Hamilton with clean drinking water.
Keefer recommended pumping water from Lake Ontario to a reservoir on the escarpment. From the reservoir, water would flow, via gravity, to downtown Hamilton. Keefer provided detailed plans for the pumping engines, and surveys for the excavations of the reservoir, filtering basins and pipe tracks.
To raise water from the lake to the reservoir, the waterworks required steam-powered pumps. Keefer selected two independently operating 70 ton Woolf Compound Rotative Beam Engines and four Cornish-style boilers. These engines were chosen for their high efficiency, reliability, and steady action. They were built by John Gartshore's Dundas Iron and Brass Foundry in Dundas, Canada West.
Thomas Keefer is one of Canada's most prolific civil engineers. He also consulted and designed hydraulic systems for Quebec City, Toronto, St. Catharines, London, St. John, Halifax and Dartmouth. His professional ethics and civil engineering practices established the profession of civil engineering in Canada….”

Here is a biography on Thomas Keefer., with some interesting information on his work on canals in Upper and Lower Canada
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/keefer_thomas_coltrin_14E.html
 

David O'Reilly

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Fred Briggs
12-29-2012, 07:55 PM
Great Pictures! A Great Link!
I loved the tour, and I have my own copy of "Hamilton's Old Pump". For those who want more of the story than is on the link, try the book! (Public Library?)
I've been asked by an interested observer to point out that the "Water Works" was in full production in 1860, but there was no railway siding for the delivery of coal until 1880. That's a lot of cart traffic!
Here's a link to a web site about the Hamilton and North Western Railway.
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/industrial/hamiltonnw.htm
This link also has some good links about that railway that used to run along the Beach, but I found the date for the completion of the Water Works siding or spur under "Beach Road and Beach Stops" on page 110 in "Hamilton's Other Railway" by Charles Cooper

scotto
06-07-2014, 02:49 PM
Scott and Fred, when did the pump house stop operating? And was it coal fired right to the end?

It stopped operating in 1910 and was on stand-by until 1938 when it was completely removed from service. Although hydro-electric power was brought in, it was considered undependable in the day and coal was used until the very end.
(Thanks to the staff of the Steam Museum)
I was given an information pamphlet on the early days of the museum;

Scott,

Was coal still being delivered to the pump house by railroad in 1938? By that time, it was the Canadian National railroad (CNR) that ran along the beach. The Hamilton and North West Railroad was purchased by the Grand Trunk RR in 1888, and itself became part of the CNR in 1923.

I’m sure Charles Cooper’s book on the H&NW) has the answer.
 

scotto

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Scott,

Was coal still being delivered to the pump house by railroad in 1938? By that time, it was the Canadian National railroad (CNR) that ran along the beach. The Hamilton and North West Railroad was purchased by the Grand Trunk RR in 1888, and itself became part of the CNR in 1923.

I’m sure Charles Cooper’s book on the H&NW) has the answer.
I don't see why they would stop, it would of been the most efficient method of transportation, in one picture from Mr. Cooper I see that one railway bridge was removed from the Black Creek to make room for the new highway (QEW) and it does look like the rails at one time headed towards the pumping station.
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1413&highlight=cooper


My grandmother Eva's identical twin died of cholera in 1900 age 7.
They were fortunate that there was only one, many passed away until the epidemic was under control
 

Sharla1

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Hard times living in those times as you say especially with those terrible outbreaks. Which a lot times took the whole family or many of the family. Her younger brother died at age 3 of meningitis. Another nasty one too.
 

David O'Reilly

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scotto
10-02-2014, 06:14 PM
Scott,

Was coal still being delivered to the pump house by railroad in 1938? By that time, it was the Canadian National railroad (CNR) that ran along the beach. The Hamilton and North West Railroad was purchased by the Grand Trunk RR in 1888, and itself became part of the CNR in 1923.

I’m sure Charles Cooper’s book on the H&NW) has the answer.

I don't see why they would stop, it would of been the most efficient method of transportation, in one picture from Mr. Cooper I see that one railway bridge was removed from the Black Creek to make room for the new highway (QEW) and it does look like the rails at one time headed towards the pumping station.
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1413&highlight=cooper

Yes, it would have been the most efficient way, but was it efficient for the CNR to make a stop at the power house to drop off what was probably just one hopper car of coal.
 

scotto

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Yes, it would have been the most efficient way, but was it efficient for the CNR to make a stop at the power house to drop off what was probably just one hopper car of coal.
A ship would not be able to get close unless they transported the coal over Van Wagner's like was done with the slab wood in the beginning and why just one car, couldn't coal be stored in many places until needed?
This all speculation on my part, but I don't see a better, more efficient way.
 

David O'Reilly

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#38
scotto
06-07-2014, 02:49 PM
Scott and Fred, when did the pump house stop operating? And was it coal fired right to the end?

It stopped operating in 1910 and was on stand-by until 1938 when it was completely removed from service. Although hydro-electric power was brought in, it was considered undependable in the day and coal was used until the very end.
(Thanks to the staff of the Steam Museum)
I was given an information pamphlet on the early days of the museum;

Hamilton's First Pumphouse.

Welcome to the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology
The Museum is located in the original 1859 Hamilton Waterworks and showcases two 45-foot high, 70-ton steam-powered pumping engines that supplied the City of Hamilton with clean drinking water from 1859 to 1910.
The pumping engines were made in Dundas, Canada West, and at the time, were cutting-edge technology. Today, they are the oldest surviving examples of their kind in North America, and the Waterworks complex is a National Historic Site and Civil and Power Engineering Landmark.
The museum offers guided tours of the original Waterworks, and presents various permanent and changing exhibits. The museum also features a wide range of special events that are fun for the whole family. Feel free to ask, call, or email about upcoming events and exhibits.

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/scotto2010/Hamilton/Waterworks/Steam6_zps9281cf3a.jpg (http://s833.photobucket.com/user/scotto2010/media/Hamilton/Waterworks/Steam6_zps9281cf3a.jpg.html)

from the London Illustrated News, 1860: The completion of the architecturally magnificent waterworks with its powerful pumping engines was an extraordinary accomplishment for a community of 27,500. With pride and excitement, the Hamilton Waterworks was officially opened on September 19, 1860 when His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) inaugurated the pumphouse.
http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/scotto2010/Hamilton/Waterworks/Steam5_zpsc706acb7.jpg (http://s833.photobucket.com/user/scotto2010/media/Hamilton/Waterworks/Steam5_zpsc706acb7.jpg.html)


________________________________________
Scott, this news paper article indicates that the electricity on the beach was transferred from 25 to 60 cycles in 1956. So was it the case that the steam generators for the pumphouse, were built for 60 cycles?

scotto
04-24-2012, 02:33 PM
Operation Changeover Starts On Beach Strip
Hamilton Beach, Jan. 17 — Conversion from 25 to 60 cycle power began today, and is scheduled to be completed by January 24. The changeover will start between the northerly limits and First Avenue; from First Avenue to Cottage Grove on January 18; from North Park to Bclleview Avenue January 19; Bclleview to Morden Avenue Area January 20; Wright's Lane to Fitch Avenue January 23nd to Fitch Avenue January 23, and from Wark Avenue to the Windermere Cut-off on January 24. Ontario Hydro has said that approximately 4,000 domestic appliances will be changed, including washing machines, refrigerators, record players, and oil-burning furnaces. There will also be clocks, fans and other small items that will be converted or exchanged. All residents are being notified of the dates on which their equipment will be standardized.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on the day of changeover, Hydro technicians enter homes and business premises in the changeover area, making sure that all frequency sensitive appliances are disconnected. Information on matters pertaining to the change-over may be obtained by calling Liberty 9-6581.
A sub-clock and fan depot is located at the unit at the Masonic Hall, 459 Beach Boulevard, and is open from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. until January 24. It is imperative that customers make sure a responsible person is home on the change-over day. If homes or business premises are found unoccupied, there is no alternative but to cut off the power, to protect 25 cycle appliances from possible damage, when the 60-cycle frequency is switched on.

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1977.html
 

scotto

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Scott, this news paper article indicates that the electricity on the beach was transferred from 25 to 60 cycles in 1956. So was it the case that the steam generators for the pumphouse, were built for 60 cycles?

scotto
04-24-2012, 02:33 PM
Operation Changeover Starts On Beach Strip
Hamilton Beach, Jan. 17 — Conversion from 25 to 60 cycle power began today, and is scheduled to be completed by January 24. The changeover will start between the northerly limits and First Avenue; from First Avenue to Cottage Grove on January 18; from North Park to Bclleview Avenue January 19; Bclleview to Morden Avenue Area January 20; Wright's Lane to Fitch Avenue January 23nd to Fitch Avenue January 23, and from Wark Avenue to the Windermere Cut-off on January 24. Ontario Hydro has said that approximately 4,000 domestic appliances will be changed, including washing machines, refrigerators, record players, and oil-burning furnaces. There will also be clocks, fans and other small items that will be converted or exchanged. All residents are being notified of the dates on which their equipment will be standardized.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on the day of changeover, Hydro technicians enter homes and business premises in the changeover area, making sure that all frequency sensitive appliances are disconnected. Information on matters pertaining to the change-over may be obtained by calling Liberty 9-6581.
A sub-clock and fan depot is located at the unit at the Masonic Hall, 459 Beach Boulevard, and is open from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. until January 24. It is imperative that customers make sure a responsible person is home on the change-over day. If homes or business premises are found unoccupied, there is no alternative but to cut off the power, to protect 25 cycle appliances from possible damage, when the 60-cycle frequency is switched on.

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1977.html
Just seeing this one now, the change over from 25 to 60 cycle power was done on the Beach in 1956, the Pumphouse was long closed by then. Although it did use electrical power to lighting, the steam generators were powered by coal, not hydro.
 

scotto

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Feb 15, 2004
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The Beach Strip
#40
This was sent in by David, it is a sketch of the waterworks and is labeled "Sketch of Beach applied for by the Board of Water Commision for the City of Hamilton.
Thanks to McMaster University Library;
http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo:70903

"There are a number of utilities and infrastructure featured on the map including is a "pumping main" which cuts across the survey and connects to an "engine house" and a "filtering basin" along Burlington Beach. Also drawn along the beach is a "road from Stony Creek" which crosses the Windemere Basin and becomes "the Beach Road". The Great Western Railway spans the top of the map (the southernmost boundary). The property owners listed on the map include: George Lottridge (lot 29), William and John Bates (east part of lot 31), Henry Waterberry (west part of lot 31), George Gant (lot 32), and Thomas Jones (lot 34). In terms of dating the map, we know that it was completed after the construction of the Great Western Railway (1854) and after the publication of the 1875 Wentworth County Atlas which lists many differing owners on these lots in years prior."
 
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