Crofton Pumping Station was originally built to raise water for the Kennet and Avon Canal. For well over 200 years it has carried out this work. For more than 100 years of its life Crofton was owned by the Great Western Railway. As well as the Crofton pumping water for the canal during this time, it also supplied water to GWR railway locomotives. The contract that GWR signed was to provide water to the K&A Canal “in perpetuity”. Indeed, if it were not for our relationship with GWR, Crofton would probably not have survived at all. To celebrate this long relationship with the railways, Crofton’s mighty Beam Engines will be in steam on the Anniversary weekend of the 27th and 28th of September.
Pour célébrer le 200e anniversaire du chemin de fer et notre modeste contribution à l'histoire du chemin de fer, nous organiserons une exposition de GWR à Crofton, avec notamment des objets et des photos de GWR, ainsi qu'une chronologie de notre lien avec le chemin de fer. Découvrez notre relation avec l'atelier de mécanique ferroviaire de Swindon et comment Crofton a apporté un léger soulagement aux apprentis. Découvrez comment GWR a même fourni à Crofton une petite locomotive à vapeur (probablement une locomotive appelée Prince) pour alimenter les pompes en cas de panne. Nos bénévoles expérimentés présenteront quelques-uns des outils GWR encore utilisés aujourd'hui, alimentant notre chaudière et entraînant nos locomotives, afin que les visiteurs puissent découvrir la puissance de la vapeur en action.
Children’s activities will include a special trail guiding them round our station, seeking out our GWR tools, as well as a crafting area for children to be able use their imagination to describe, draw and even have a go at junk modelling a train.