Tower Bridge- The Engine Rooms

The magnificent Victorian Engine Rooms house the beautifully maintained, coal-driven engines, which were installed for the completion of the Tower Bridge in 1894 to power the bridge lifts.

The work was of a standard to be awarded the Painting and Decoration Association (PDA) Industrial Award in July 2010.  It was recognised for its complexity and high standard of workmanship on such an iconic piece of engineering.  

The job entailed examining the historic paint prior to any work-taking place. This involved testing for lead and carrying out an adhesion test to ensure that the old coatings were sound and well adhered and that they could be saved for prosperity rather than having to be removed. Samples were also taken and had these analysed under the microscope to find the original paint scheme. There was a vast amount of oil and grease build and it was necessary to write a full report at every stage of the work and accompany this with photographic evidence.

PDA judges quoted “The finishes are faultless, right down to the smallest detail, and are a pleasure to see. The machinery presented its own problems of access and preparation, all of which were overcome with pride and an eye for detail”
Neil Ogilvie, National President of the PDA, said: “The PDA Premier Trophy Awards recognise the highest standards in the industry and Tom Greening demonstrated great craftsmanship, skill and expertise in the work at Tower Bridge.”