Help us maintain the Heritage Pumphouse and Beam Engine

The McLaren Steam Traction Engine is one of the many extraordinary steam engines that inhabits the Pumphouse vicinity. This much-loved engine is more than 100 years old and fast became a pillar in the agriculture industry due to its great ability to provide high levels of power for a range of machinery. You may have seen this remarkable engine at the entrance of our Pumphouse, but soon, the McLaren will chug on over to our Aviation site for a little TLC and restoration in the hopes that the engine will run again soon!

Our steam team have also been busy with the recent annual boiler survey and inspection. These checks are the equivalent of a car’s WOF and allow us to use our boilers to power the various steam machines on-site at MOTAT. For another year, our team have passed these checks with flying colours which means you can continue to see them in action on your next visit to MOTAT.