Now that we have the Flume House, we are focusing on building the components found inside. The cable drum, seen below, is nearing completion and will be installed on site soon.
Seen above is one side of the cable drum that is being constructed by Martin Developments.
Engineering Features of the Flume House Machinery
When the Marine Railway was in operation it was water powered. The water was brought into the Flume House and then it was discharged through the reaction turbine (first image), rotating a vertical shaft that drove the crown and bevel gears and, through a third gear, drove the 12 foot diameter cable drum (second image). The drum hauled a 2 inch diameter cable attached to the boat cradle. The boat cradle and its load were lifted from Halifax Harbour to Sullivan’s Pond along the Marine Railway.
Model of a reaction turbine
Model of the gears and cable drum
In this photo from the Morris Canal you can see the cable that pulls the boat cradle.