The E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant in Raleigh, NC
The title of this photo explains the feeling that I had while exploring the Bain Project. I really have no idea what most of the equipment was used for. And, that doesn’t even matter. I’m glad that there were no maps, no guides to tell me what I was looking at. I like that I was allowed to use my imagination to try to figure it out myself. And, if I couldn’t figure it out, I could just stand there and appreciate the colors and complexity and decay.
That is a large water pump. It’s hard to tell from the pic, but there may be a second opposing on on the opposite side of the room. this is an interesting configuration. It looks like there is a small electric motor mated to the larger one. The small one is probably used to start the motor.
The weighted arm overhead in the background looks like it is probably a gravity valve/damper for the pump discharge line. The weight would close the valve when the water is not flowing, and the valve would be pushed open by the force of the pumped water.
In the far right background, it looks like one or more air compressors. It’s hard to be sure because I can’t get a good look at it in the photo. A lot of industrial controls used to be pneumatic (air-powered), so I’m guessing that it was a compressed air source for driving some of the controls at the plant.
I do electrical design for water treatment facilities, and it’s really fascinating to see how things used to be done electrically.