Several years ago a few of the LMTA Volunteers visited a Severn Trent sewage works which was still using the same basic process to deal with the foul water as was used at Abbey Pumping Station when it operated as a sewage pumping station.   Our main point of interest was the working 2 foot railway on the site.   On arrival we were given the complete freedom of the site, and so left to wander at will.

I have never seen grass so green,  nor was there any odour. The filter house used to sieve the foul water before it went to the filter beds, was spotless.   You could have eaten your dinner of the floor, it was so clean and all painted white.

Well, the main purpose of our visit was the railway, and over in the distance from the settling tanks we could see a pile of surplus railway track and skips.   On asking the workmen if we could go over and investigate, their response was “ Are you management?”.   To which we replied  “No” and gave the reason for our visit.    We was advised to make our way over using the railway tracks, and stick to them and we would be OK, as to wander off the tracks may result in us getting bogged down and have to be rescued.

So we duly made our way over and investigated what was being stored, to see if anything could be begged or  borrowed for the Abbey Pumping Station site railway.  On our return, my curiosity got the better of me so I asked “ Why did you ask if we was management?”.   The reply was “ some people believe that they can walk on water, so we let them try.”

From this visit we acquired skips and rails ect. which are now used on the railway at Abbey Pumping Sation museum.