This is a working museum as it was built in the 1870's, along with the first Mersey tunnel, in order to keep the tunnel relatively dry - this being, at the time of opening, the longest underwater tunnel in the world. This beam engine (known as a Giant Grasshopper due to its looks) kept the railway trains running rather than splashing.
As it is still doing the same job almost 140 years later, we can see how well the victorians engineered machines. But, be warned, it isn't quiet!
Open Sat and Sun afternoons normally and other times by appointment read more