General view of a 'Dickie' windpump working at North Highcraig Farm, Eaglesham, Renfrewshire, in August 1981. Copy of 35 mm colour transparency.

Description General view of a 'Dickie' windpump working at North Highcraig Farm, Eaglesham, Renfrewshire, in August 1981. Copy of 35 mm colour transparency.

Date 30/8/1981

Collection Papers of Professor John R Hume, economic and industrial historian, Glasgow, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 866359

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Windpump, North Highcraig Farm, Eaglesham, Renfrewshire Windpumps or Wind Pumps of the so called 'American Farm' type were installed in large numbers on Scottish farms in the first half of the 20th century where they were mainly used for pumping water for domestic supply. They were developed in the USA in the late 19th century and are still widely manufactured and used, particularly in developing countries. This view shows a 'Dickie' windpump, made in East Kilbride. Its construction is typical, with a ring of aerofoil-section blades on a rotor geared to a crank working a pump at the bottom of the steel tower. This one has a pulley to the left which allowed a tractor to drive the pump when there was no wind. Windpumps were common until the 1970s. This photograph was taken by Graham Douglas in 1981 as part of s survey of wind power in Scotland. Many of the pumps he recorded have since disappeared. A Dickie pump had been preserved in the Calderglen Country Park, East Kilbride but was taken down due to Health and Safety reasons. A Dickie pump will be erected at the National Museums Scotland Museum of Rural Life in March 2007. That can be found at Kittochside, East Kilbride. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap