Super Silenced pumps for SS Great Britain

Andrews Sykes have provided a Super Silenced 6inch pump along with a secondary pump, purely as back up, for the dry dock created round SS Great Britain, to improve visitors views

Full steam ahead for pumps from Andrews Sykes, transforming Brunel's steam ship, the SS Great Britain, into one of the world's most exciting and accessible historic vessels, included draining a large dock water pumping chamber - under the innovative glass waterline plate, which will allow visitors to see the keel below.

It turned out there was only one pump for the job, a Super Wispa 6 inch pump from Andrews Sykes.

The new range of 3, 4, 6 and 8 inch Super Silenced units offer maximum noise levels of just 62dB at 7m, making it ideal for applications where environmental noise is a concern.

As powerful as they are portable, the Super Silenced pumps from Andrews Sykes feature a large fuel tank for up to 40 hours of continuous operation.

Built with a host of safety features including high level bund alarm, low level fuel warning, temperature shutdown, oil preSSure shutdown and over speed protection, the pumps also feature optional telemetry allowing them to be managed and monitored remotely.

At the time of her launch in 1843, the SS Great Britain was by far the largest ship in the world, representing the world's first iron-hulled, screw-propeller driven, steam powered passenger liner.

Following many epic adventures she was finally abandoned as a wreck and beached near Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands in 1937.

It wasn't until 1970 that she was towed to the historic dock at Bristol where her new life began, culminating in an ambitious GBP11.3 million programme of conservation works.

The most innovative aspect of the conservation plan is the construction of a glass plate at the ship's water line, which will be covered with a thin layer of water so the vessel appears to be floating at anchor.

Beneath the glass will be a giant airtight chamber surrounding the SS Great Britain's lower hull, providing a non-corrosive atmosphere.

Visitors will be able to descend via a lift into the dry dock.

Employed as a subcontractor to Bluestone Construction, Wayne Pritchard of Simon Morris Construction takes up the story.

"As the visitor attraction was to remain open during the transformation of the dock, we wanted to hire a silenced pump.

I knew Andrews Sykes very well and so gave them a call.

As usual the response was excellent.

They soon provided a Super Silenced 6inch unit along with a secondary pump, purely as back up - how many companies would go to that length? The pump was phenomenal, draining the whole dock in about five minutes, and containing it.

I always receive first class service from Andrews Sykes and I would recommend their pumps to anyone".

Work on the SS Great Britain, the new Dockyard Museum, the Medlock Education Centre, and the ship's dry dock, will be complete in time for the 're-launch' celebrations from July 16 to 21.

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