Heritage Engineering Learning Trust

About Heritage Engineering Learning Trust

West Ham Engine House is located near to what used to be Stratford Depot, the world’s largest railway works at the time. The Lea Valley region is home to many industrial firsts including the iconic London Bus as we know it today, the first all British flight and the British Car with an internal combustion engine. One of the most significant engineering innovations of the Lea Valley was the Diode Valve, invented by John Ambrose Fleming.

In operation, a beam engine was typically kept running 24 hours per day, carrying the station’s base load, with the other five engines on standby or under maintenance. In storm conditions, all five engines could be run at once.