A Closer Look: Inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station
From the Photo series: A Closer Look: Explore Western New York’s architectural treasures series
The Col. Ward Pumping Station continues to treat and pump water from Lake Erie for the City of Buffalo. The five, 60-foot-tall steam pumps that were used in the early 1900s are no longer functioning; they were replaced by smaller electric pumps that do the same job much more efficiently. But the mammoth steam machines remain as a living testament to the engineering marvel of the Industrial Age.
Harnessing Buffalo's greatest natural resource
An aerial view of the Col. Ward Pumping Station situated on the edge of the Black Rock Channel at the entrance to Centennial Park, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.
Steam pumps
Each of the five steam pumps weighs 1,100 tons and stands 60 feet tall inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Step back in time
Detail of a giant pipe on one of the vintage steam pumps.
Holly Manufacturing Co.
A pair of gauges on one of the massive vintage steam pumps.
Keep the water flowing
Detail of one of the five steam pumps manufactured by the Holly Pump Co. of Lockport.
Tools of the trade
A pair of giant wrenches inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Valves and pipes
A maze of pipes and valves.
Larger than life
Each of the five steam pumps weighs 1,100 tons and stands 60 feet tall inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Massive conduits
A pair of giant conduits that are used to move water into one of the massive steam pumps.
Pounds of pressure
Detail of a water pressure gauge on one of the steam pumps.
Light and shadow
Sunlight strikes the massive bolts on a 48-inch pipe.
Window light
Rows of arched windows inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Steam powered
Each steam pump is a maze of iron conduit inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Time machine
The row of five massive steam pumps inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Patina
Light strikes a portion of a steam pump revealing its patina.
Iron bolts
Sunlight strikes the massive bolts on a 48-inch pipe.
30-ton flywheel
Each 1,200-horsepower steam engine has two 30-ton flywheels that drive piston pumps once capable of discharging 30 million gallons of water per day through 48-inch pipes.
Architecturally significant
A row of streetlamps lines the walkway surrounding the row of massive steam-powered pumps, right, each six stories tall, inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Iron curves
Detail of a giant pipe on one of the vintage steam pumps inside the Col. Ward Pumping Station.
Modern efficiency
The efficient modern pumps that are currently used to send water throughout the city seem quite small compared to the giant steam machines of yesteryear.
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