Can anyone help with information about the pumping capacity of the Beam engines at Wheal Vor? and is there a detailed plan showing the surface layout of the mine apart from the 1880s 6 inch OS map ?

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When Wheal Vor was re-opened in 1853-4 Two engines were purchased one 100" to pump Crease's shaft (Borlases) and one 85" on Trelawney's. The in-coming water in a dry season was 500GPM. The total that had to be pumped out was 706,406,000 gallons. This took four and a half years due to the constant breakage of the pump rods on the 100" which were made of iron instead the normal wood. These shafts are transposed on the 6" map and to the best of my knowledge no plans exist of the site in these years

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I will beable tomorrow to furnish some pumping figures for the engines at Wheal Vor from 1820-1850 ish. Watch this space for updates. :smartass:

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Thanks Keith, Could be very interesting 🙂

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The results of the survey are :

There are records for 8 pumping engines in the Vor area which cover the dates 1815 - 1846. There are no records in Lean after May 1846.

They are Pearces, Woolfs, Old, Trelawny's Borlase, Penhale, Carleen and Vreah. There are a few for Poladrass to but I have not included them - 150ish gpm

Penhale 24" (1840-1842) - average 181gpm (26monthly readings)
Pearces 63" (1819-1832) - average 244gpm (144monthly readings)
Woolfs 53" (1815-1846) - average 252gpm (315monthly readings)
Old 48" (1815-1832 ) - average 140gpm (141monthly readings)
Trelawnys 80" (1824-1846)- average 413gpm (232monthly readings
Borlase 80" (1832-1846) average 331gpm (151monthly readings
Carleen 45" (1827-1839) average 110gpm (86monthly readings)
Vreah (1815-1825) average 101gpm (116monthly readings)

Totals Max 1600gpm Average 859gpm (1815-1846)

I can give more details if required. :smartass:

Perhaps when I get time I could write a book on the subject 😮

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Hi Keith , many thanks for the very interesting information, by comparison, roughly how much was crofty pumping out per minute? or Wheal jane?. 😉

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From what I remember Crofty was about 1.5Million gallons per day and Wheal Jane was about 8-12Million gallons per day (Slightly damp :lol: )

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