De Vier Noorder Koggen steam pumping station

When you hear the word "steam engine," you immediately think of the 19th century. The De Vier Noorder Koggen pumping station is now a museum, but it is also a steam pumping station that is still in operation .

Just south of Medemblik, on the Oosterdijk, stands a stately and unmissable building. A slender chimney rises above it, and if you pause for a moment, you cannot fail to notice the building's most important feature: a pipe protruding from the wall, from which steam is escaping. This is the De Vier Noorder Koggen pumping station, which is still powered by steam. It is now used as a steam engine museum, but the pumping station and the steam engine with its large pump are owned by the water board.

Four Northern Puddings

The history of drainage in this area dates back to the 16th century. The pumping station is located at the end of the drainage system of the West Frisian region of De Vier Noorderkoggen. A kogge was the name given to an area that had to supply a cog ship and its crew when the Count of Holland went to war. Four kogges in the north of West Friesland had to work together on water management, hence the name. This was not easy, as there were considerable differences in elevation in the area. As a result, there were often lengthy disputes about how to drain the excess water into the Zuiderzee.

Wind and steam

In the 19th century, the Vier Noorderkoggen had 23 wind-powered water mills. Fifteen of these were located along the elongated mill pond and pumped the water up into that pond. At low tide, the water was then discharged from the basin into the Zuiderzee. However, when the wind failed, the mills could not grind and flooding occurred. After careful consideration, the decision was made to build a steam pumping station near the mill basin to support the water mills. The Utrecht steam pumping station builder Boote de Vries (1815-1874) was hired to build the first part of the pumping station, which was completed in 1869.

The "old" steam pumping station

The De Vries pumping station is clearly recognizable as the right-hand section of the current building. The steam engine was located in the middle section, while the side wings housed the scoop wheels and screw pumps that discharged the water. Above the windows of the middle section, you can see the so-called 'eyebrows', a characteristic feature of pumping stations designed by De Vries. Over the years, there have been quite a few renovations, but the smithy behind the pumping station is still largely as it was in 1869. Since 1897, the water has been pumped out by centrifugal pumps, a technique that is still in use today.

The ‘new’ pumping station

Meanwhile, flooding continued to occur because the steam pumping station was often unable to cope, and in 1907 it was therefore expanded by Adriaan Kater (1853-1943). He was employed by the water board and also designed the lock for the pumping station, which was built in 1893. His pumping station stands out because of its large windows. He had his own style, but it was clearly in line with Boote de Vries' design. The new pumping station did not run on steam, but on a suction gas engine, which was so powerful that the wind-powered water mills could be discarded. The steam engines in the old pumping station remained in service.

Steam remains

The suction gas engine was already worn out in the early 1920s and was replaced by a new steam engine in 1924. In 1939, electric motors were added to replace the steam engines in the old pumping station. The new pumping station remained 'under steam' until 1971. Then the Steam Authority rejected the boilers and a diesel engine was installed. In 1977, the pumping station closed after a modern electric pumping station was completed in Onderdijk, a few kilometers away. The steam pumping station proved to be an excellent location for a national steam engine museum. The steam pumping station is still in operation and can be used to help out when water levels are high, although the last time this happened was in 1998.

Extra

• Steam Engine Museum website
• Those who walk stage 6 of the Westfriese Omringdijk (from Medemblik to Enkhuizen) will pass the steam pumping station and can combine the walk with a visit to the museum.
• During August, September, and October, it is also possible to visit the steam museum as part of the free shuttle service that takes you to all the sights in Medemblik and the surrounding area.