Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology.

scotto

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#1
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. As you can see by the attached pictures, the machinery is kept absolutely spotless(great job by the staff) and it doesn't pump lake water anymore, but just for show the whole pump process from beginning to end can be exhibited by starting up a small three horse power engine which moves all the rods, pistons, beams and linkages by turning a huge flywheel.
The site is the only mid-19th century waterworks surviving intact in North America and is open year round.
 

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scotto

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Choo-Choo

The part the kids like most about the Steam Museum is the miniature locomotives and cars. This facility is ran by the Golden Horseshoe Live Steamers and includes 2600 feet total of track with many different models of coal burning steam powered trains that you can board and ride around the tracks. Each train has it's own Engineer with an official engineer's hat, if you want your own, you can pick one up in the gift shop for just ten loonies. Give it a try, the kids will love it! :)
http://www.ghls.org/
 

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scotto

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I haven't been inside the museum for a few years now, stopped by this week to update my pictures and I was also given a very nice tour.:tbu:













 

scotto

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#5
The water intake pipe shed

This strucuture is located beside the path near Hutch's, the water intake now ends at the newer water pumping building located across from Hutch's, but many decades ago it was the steam museum.
The shed is very old and was getting to be in very rough shape, last summer a contractor re-bricked the walls with the exact same design from a century ago.

First a couple picture from years past of the shed, notice the failing brick;




Workers finishing the last section of the walls;





And a couple of the final job;



 

scotto

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#9
Is there a lot of walking on the tour, and are there any stairs?
Not a lot of walking unless you check out the other things that they have going on, like the small riding trains. As for stair, there a short set to the first part of the tour then an original set to the second floor and the top floor isn't in use anymore to the public.
 

Fred Briggs

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#12
Hamilton's Old Pump

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

Fred

Added;
https://www.chiwater.com/Company/Staff/WJamesWebpage/technology/HamiltonsOldPumpHouse.htm
 
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scotto

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Thanks Fred;
I didn't think that the railway was a located near the Pump Station. I concluded that coal was brought in by ship to the docks on the harbour then transported to Woodward Ave. But this was all speculation on my part.

Here is a link to more railway and transportation in the day information, sent in by David O'Reilly.

"1861 - The wind was from the north-east and drove seas across Burlington Beach in several places. In addition, it made a breach in the embankment at the Water Works Basin."
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1861

1888 - "In August, preparations were being made to place a new water intake out in the lake. A timber-crib, to contain 80 tons of stone had been built"
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1888

'in 1861 the filtering basin was damaged in a storm' 'in 1888 the intake pipes for the pump house were extended'.


Just to add;
Here are more pictures of the Pumping Station, but this is the "newer" one located on Van Wagner's.
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/threads/van-wagners-pumping-station.2050/
 

David O'Reilly

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#14
Scott, “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.”

Fig. 10 One pair of cylinders, valve gear & Watt parallel motion, Hamilton Pumphouse, Hamilton, Ont, 1977.
Fig. 11 Walking beams, Hamilton Pumphouse, Hamilton, Ont., 1977. The steam engines at the Hamilton Pumphouse represent the most advanced form of the beam pumping engine which had originated with Newcomen's early eighteenth-century "atmospheric" engine. The only other surviving installation of beam engines in North America, the pumping plant of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal at Chesapeake City, Md., provides an interesting contrast to the pumphouse at Hamilton. The single-cylinder engines of the canal powerhouse employ a pair of slide bars to guide the piston rod, with the cross heads connected by two links to the walking beam, whereas the compound engines at Hamilton are fitted with the "parallel motion" devised by James Watt to guide the piston rod in a straight line. Built by John Gartshore of Dundas, the first engine was started in October 1859 and the second engine the following month.
http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17534/22465
 

David O'Reilly

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#16
1860 - By this time, the City was busy with preparations for the visit of His Royal Highness, Edward, Prince of Wales, in September. Among the functions to take place would be the official opening of Hamilton's fine new water works on the 20 September. The plans called for the Prince to leave from the Railway Wharf aboard the PEERLESS, which would anchor in the Lake, from which point the little steamer YOUNG CANADIAN would act as a tender and transfer the royal party to a landing near the water works. The steamer BOWMANVILLE would tag along, loaded with those of lesser rank. However, as Robbie Burns said -
"the plans of mice and men, etc. etc."
- went awry when His Royal Highness climbed aboard a carriage uptown, which should have taken him to the Wharf. Instead, the Police Constable, seated with the driver ordered the latter to head for the water works over-land. The Prince saw the immediate country-side, while the dignitaries on the steamers waited and wondered. The steamers finally cast off and disembarked their red-faced passengers at the designated spot. They did, however, have the honour of returning the Prince to the City, as per plan. During the ceremonies, the eminent engineer, Thomas C. Keefer, designer of the water works had the honour of meeting His Royal Highness and Adam Brown delivered an address.
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1860
 

David O'Reilly

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#18
Here is a bit more information on the pumping station. Unfortunately there isn't a date for when this document was written, but it is deffently in the 19th century.

" The pumping station and filtering basins are at the Beach, about six miles east of the city.
There are at present two reservoirs, and another large reservoir is about to be constructed at the head of
James street. The water is pumped into the city through three large mains, 20 inch. 24 inch and 30 inch
respectively in diameter. The pumping capacity of the plant is about fifteen million gallons per twenty-
four hours, and there is laid throughout the city about one hundred and ten miles of water mains. The total
cost of installing this plant was about two million dollars."
http://archive.org/stream/hamiltonhandbook00unknuoft/hamiltonhandbook00unknuoft_djvu.txt
 

David O'Reilly

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#19
A bit more history.

1858 – “On Sunday morning, 16 May, the iron-hulled sidewheeler FIRE FLY arrived in port, having had a troublesome voyage from Toronto. She had left there on Saturday evening, towing a dredge for George Worthington, contractor for the Hamilton Water Works project. When about 2 miles west of Bronte, in heavy seas, Capt. Moodie was forced to cut the tow adrift, as he could no longer manage it. Several attempts were made to rescue those aboard, but all failed. There were two small scows with the dredge and it was hoped that the men could make shore in one of them. However, this was not to be. Next day, the dredge and scows were found ashore, but there was no sign of the men. The FIRE FLY was built in 1844 at Montreal by William Parkyn and was owned by J. & H. McLennan of Montreal.”
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1858


So I presume that the dredge was intended to be used to excavate the filtering basins.
 

David O'Reilly

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