Markham Grange Power Station, Doncaster, September 2021
Introduction:
Visited with @little_ boy_explores
I have a lot to offer to this forum so I suppose I should stop sitting in the dark constantly moaning as I have the past year about what is safe and what is not to share, at the end of the day it's a loosing battle and it's simply going to be what it's going to be isn't it? Anyway here's a beauty of a tiny pocket station located at the Markham Grange Garden Centre near Doncaster. Power station? At a Garden Centre? I hear you say! Yeah it's a bit of an odd one but when I thought about it, it actually makes perfect sense, most old Victorian green houses had a boiler plant to provide heating to the exotic plants in the winter, so if you're making steam, why not bang a few engines or turbos in as well and have a CHP? I'm sure they could be others out there so why not get off your asses and have a look, saves me and the other few up the top doing all the legwork
Like I say, she's a little beauty, two Belliss & Morcomb inverted vertical steam engines, a Scisson Engine running a Crompton Parkinson Generator and a WH Allen Turbo-Generator Set all powered off an oil fired boiler! All the Engines and Turbine have had previous lives before been installed in the relatively new (1990's I believe) power station, which is odd but incredible welcome! Belliss & Morcomb No.1 came from Fine Art Coverings in Holmes Chapel, No.2 coming from J&E Sturge (Which is still a thing, but now houses a GT set, boring no good, already had a look, unless you like boring modern GT's?) of Selby. The Scisson came from a UID Iron foundry and the WH Allen Turbine Alternator from a Hospital up in Scotland! Nowadays only the TurboGen and Scisson are in operation, sadly the two Belliss Morcombs are sadly covered up and look like they may have been for some time going off the dust... The Station still generates steam and power for the steam museum and Garden Centre upon our visit the door was wide open as seen below so we began the reason of our visit and began photographing. It wasn't long before an engineer appeared, as it turns out he was an elderly volunteer for the steam museum and was actually just happy to see our interest in the little power station and was more than happy for us to continue!
Photos:
Let's have a look around then, look at everyone getting excited about Fiddlers Ferry when there's a (A he says lol) station with operating 1920's gear
I mean I can see why it hasn't been done before, just looks like a modern barn!
Boiler Time, boring but it's part the process.
Still a bit pissy about the covers but it can't be helped.
Hohoho, bring me the epic son!
Come on, if that doesn't turn you on a bit then you'd might as well go back to the residential forum.
The engines are nicer for sure but always nice to have a Turbo lurking...
No fear, switchgear. I got that from graff at Dobroyd Mill, always stuck...
Plenty more little and some large epics to come over time, see how this goes.
Hopefully a return with no drama or stupidity, other wise I'll just crawl back into my cave, no worries quite happy to not share this stuff if people act like children.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!
Certainly different to your standard power station, I love my ex CEGB Behemoths too but honestly, getting sick of hearing about them and how they're the most epic thing in existent now haha
Peace out
TAW
Introduction:
Visited with @little_ boy_explores
I have a lot to offer to this forum so I suppose I should stop sitting in the dark constantly moaning as I have the past year about what is safe and what is not to share, at the end of the day it's a loosing battle and it's simply going to be what it's going to be isn't it? Anyway here's a beauty of a tiny pocket station located at the Markham Grange Garden Centre near Doncaster. Power station? At a Garden Centre? I hear you say! Yeah it's a bit of an odd one but when I thought about it, it actually makes perfect sense, most old Victorian green houses had a boiler plant to provide heating to the exotic plants in the winter, so if you're making steam, why not bang a few engines or turbos in as well and have a CHP? I'm sure they could be others out there so why not get off your asses and have a look, saves me and the other few up the top doing all the legwork
Like I say, she's a little beauty, two Belliss & Morcomb inverted vertical steam engines, a Scisson Engine running a Crompton Parkinson Generator and a WH Allen Turbo-Generator Set all powered off an oil fired boiler! All the Engines and Turbine have had previous lives before been installed in the relatively new (1990's I believe) power station, which is odd but incredible welcome! Belliss & Morcomb No.1 came from Fine Art Coverings in Holmes Chapel, No.2 coming from J&E Sturge (Which is still a thing, but now houses a GT set, boring no good, already had a look, unless you like boring modern GT's?) of Selby. The Scisson came from a UID Iron foundry and the WH Allen Turbine Alternator from a Hospital up in Scotland! Nowadays only the TurboGen and Scisson are in operation, sadly the two Belliss Morcombs are sadly covered up and look like they may have been for some time going off the dust... The Station still generates steam and power for the steam museum and Garden Centre upon our visit the door was wide open as seen below so we began the reason of our visit and began photographing. It wasn't long before an engineer appeared, as it turns out he was an elderly volunteer for the steam museum and was actually just happy to see our interest in the little power station and was more than happy for us to continue!
Photos:
Let's have a look around then, look at everyone getting excited about Fiddlers Ferry when there's a (A he says lol) station with operating 1920's gear
I mean I can see why it hasn't been done before, just looks like a modern barn!
Boiler Time, boring but it's part the process.
Still a bit pissy about the covers but it can't be helped.
Hohoho, bring me the epic son!
Come on, if that doesn't turn you on a bit then you'd might as well go back to the residential forum.
The engines are nicer for sure but always nice to have a Turbo lurking...
No fear, switchgear. I got that from graff at Dobroyd Mill, always stuck...
Plenty more little and some large epics to come over time, see how this goes.
Hopefully a return with no drama or stupidity, other wise I'll just crawl back into my cave, no worries quite happy to not share this stuff if people act like children.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!
Certainly different to your standard power station, I love my ex CEGB Behemoths too but honestly, getting sick of hearing about them and how they're the most epic thing in existent now haha
Peace out
TAW
