We have these in UK as well, two used to be close to me one on the A1 between Berwick and Belford and one on the farm/estate I work on. used for pumping water out of bore holes, no longer there.
They had a sort of rack and pinion system to work a pump in the hole, the pinion lifted the rack up then somehow released it so it fell down then it lifted it again, wish I'd photod it before they allowed to fall to pieces - shame as they worked for free