Friday, 4 October 2013

Seen this week…

After my encounter with the DeLorean (see my last blog) I came across another unusual vehicle whilst wandering about the town this week. It’s a 1911 tower wagon that once belonged to Leicester Corporation Tramways. It’s normally to be found in the Abbey Pumping Station Museum where it’s lovingly cared for by a team of volunteers, however it was in the town centre to help see off Leicester’s bid to become City of Culture 2017.

Apparently Leicester rock legends Kasabian later made a surprise appearance at the festivities but I didn’t wait around long enough to see them.


I thought I might include some pictures of the Abbey Pumping Station I took one overcast day earlier in the year.

The pumping station was opened in 1891 to pump Leicester’s sewage to treatment works at nearby Beaumont Leys. It closed in 1964.

The pumping was done by four beautifully decorated beam engines which were built in Leicester by Gimson and Co.





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3 comments:

  1. Sharon Himsl4 October 2013 at 23:00

    I must admit I'm a bit jealous of all the interesting places you have to visit in Leicester. Makes me yearn for the big city. They just don't make pumps like that anymore. I'm glad they have been preserved.

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  2. Maria13 October 2013 at 23:28

    I can't help thinking 'Steampunk' when I see those shots of the steam machinery. A genre I have not yet read, or written, although I know it has a growing following.

    Have you read any yet?

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    1. Sally @ Breaking Cover14 October 2013 at 10:08

      I'm surprised Steampunk hasn't had more impact on the main stream, I can sort of see the attraction though when something as functional as a sewage pumping system is so beautiful.

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