HUNDREDS of young and young-at-heart visitors let off steam at Langford's Museum of Power.
The former pumping station, whose steam engines once pumped up to eight million gallons of treated water every day, celebrated its final open weekend of the season in fine style.
Visitors saw its giant working steam engine, which was brought back into action last year, 50 years after the waterworks shut, and there were working power displays, Edwardian workshops, and riverside nature trails – but the most popular attraction was the miniature steam railway.
Former Royal Navy helicopter pilot John Dines, a self-taught model steam train builder, took time out from driving them around the seven acre woodland site, to explain his latest project.
Mr Dines said: "Although we have a number of engines on site, our railway volunteers are currently working hard to complete a K1 engine.
"It's around one third the size of the originals, which worked on narrow gauge tracks in Tasmania, and weighs one and a half tonnes, making it the heaviest steamer at Langford.
"The K1 was started as a retirement project by a man who sadly died three years ago. Now we are on track to complete his dream in about a year's time."
One of the youngest visitors at the weekend, 20-month-old Edward King, was keen to weigh himself on a set of scales.
Parents Lisa and Gary, of Tiptree, discovered their son was a strapping 11 kilos.
Lisa said: "We love to come here because there is lots to see and Edward especially likes to ride on the choo-choo trains."
Another young fan of the museum is Jack Smith, six, whose grandparents live in Hatfield Peverel. Mum Tara, of Ipswich, said: "We've been here loads of times and like to combine it with visiting my parents."
Museum chairman Dick Waylen appealed for volunteers to help the charity, which leases the redundant pumping station from Essex & Suffolk Water.
He said: "We've got a hard core of about 40 volunteers, many of them engineers, but we would like to recruit those who don't want to get their hands dirty.
"Helping to show people around the museum, or serving behind the counter in our lovely new tea room, is just as vital."
Mr Waylen said the recent addition of an 8m x 12m metal storage building would enable volunteers to "spruce up" the grounds, and get rid of unsightly shipping containers.
"We have been generously helped to buy the expensive building by the Essex Heritage Trail."
The museum is now preparing for its Christmas train ride attraction, the Santa Special, on December 9, which must be pre-booked.
Visitors will be able to let off steam in a different way when tea dances begin next month.
Museum manager Susan Hastings-Herbert, who designed the tea room with its pre-war décor, said the dances would begin with DJs spinning old 78s, progressing to include big bands.
She added: "The Tea Room is sited in the former machine shop and has lots of atmosphere, but we could also hold our dances in the generator hall, which has more room."
