History

Number 9 Exhauster (635): Then And Now

Number 9 Exhauster was built when it was realised the suction power produced by the Air House wasn’t adequate for the next generation of gas turbines. Therefore a Parsons turbine was housed in an anonymous extension to the north of Cell 4, where it provided additional suction for Cell 3, Cell 3 West and Cell 4.

An obscure lone Parsons turbine in a bolt-on addition to the impressive Cell 4 was liable to be overlooked, but one picture of it has so far surfaced from Pyestock’s original photographic record.

Likewise, modern explorers have also tended to overlook (or rather miss) this turbine and it’s sparsely represented in the post-closure photographic record. However, I did have one shot which matched the original angle, but not the elevation, of the original picture.

The original photographer was much higher and the resulting picture was cropped tight. I’ve left my shot unedited to show the extent of the room housing the turbine, and the blockhouse containing the control room on the right.

No. 9 exhauster.

No. 9 exhauster taken from the eastern end of Cell 4 Annexe. The control room is on the right. 21|04|07 © Simon Cornwell 2007