The Waterworks Museum in Hereford used to be known as the Broomy Hill Pumping station. The oldest sections were built in 1856 and the building gradually extended until 1906. There's a handy graphic on the history page to explain.
It's a nice solid building that would fit on most layouts. As usual, the biggest challenges are the curved brickwork at the top of the windows.
On-site research is easy, but I'd suggest checking to see if the adjacent Hereford Society of Model Engineers have an event on so you can make a day of it.
Wasn't there a 2ft gauge line there once? Has that gone?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't see one - you aren't confusing it with the pumping station at Kew? That has a railway.
ReplyDeletePhil, See my picture from my last visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbofin/15073951819/in/album-72157647622364706/ I think that might have been about 1985....
ReplyDeleteThat's where the model engineering society is now - with 3.5,5 and 7.75 inch lines.
ReplyDeleteChecking up on this, I'm told:
ReplyDeleteThe line shown in the photo was part of the demonstration line used by the Waterworks Museum when it first opened. The museum was established in 1974 but it was the late 90's that it really started to become what it is today and the line was part of that early building program, it was imported from a sewage works somewhere. It was never successful as most of the waterworks members didn't want to use it and then of course H&S raised its ugly head and it was declared unsafe. It never carried passengers anyway. The line stayed there for some years after the Hereford SME acquired the site. It was finally taken up and the embankment demolished in 2014. All the land it was on belongs to HSME and as you probably know is used for car parking and other tentage etc on Gala Days.