Lovely old Isolator found in Cellar

[KEV 1 N]

Found this in the cellar of an old house in Durham...

The neutral is fused so I’m guessing it’s “really old”
Any body know roughly the era it would be?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Tel or Pete will be along soon, they'll know

 

[Pete999]

Tel or Pete will be along soon, they'll know

Already here Archy, yes L and N fusing proper job probably 40s 50s no not 1840s, 1940s before the smart Alecs make ageist comments

 

[DPG]

Lucien will probably want that.

 

[telectrix]

agree with 1940's.

 

[KEV 1 N]

Already here Archy, yes L and N fusing proper job probably 40s 50s no not 1840s, 1940s before the smart Alecs make ageist comments

Thanks Pete, I was kind of guessing around that time, knew it was older than 1960s. There were also a couple of Crabtree ones, but they weren’t as good condition as this one, plus they had fuse carriers missing, although they were redundant, they were all still connected to live Henley blocks from the meter with VIR in conduit!
It was a shame to strip them out, as the install was neat!

 

[slingshot2000]

I have something very similar to that, will try and get a photograph. I found mine 5 miles south of Durham, in a house in Spennymoor!

 

[KEV 1 N]

I have something very similar to that, will try and get a photograph. I found mine 5 miles south of Durham, in a house in Spennymoor!

Spennymoor! Surprised it hadn’t already been weighed in for scrap!

 

[Andy78]

Love the installer's plaque.

 

[Pete999]

Thanks Pete, I was kind of guessing around that time, knew it was older than 1960s. There were also a couple of Crabtree ones, but they weren’t as good condition as this one, plus they had fuse carriers missing, although they were redundant, they were all still connected to live Henley blocks from the meter with VIR in conduit!
It was a shame to strip them out, as the install was neat!

Not wanting to harp on about then and now Kev, but Electricians in those days cared about their craft and a pride in their work, seems that nowadays it's all Bish Bash, bung it in get paid and Foxtrot Oscar. Not all modern Sparkies are like that mind you, there still are some people, who have a pride factor in their work ethics, quite a few are Forum members.

 

[KEV 1 N]

Not wanting to harp on about then and now Kev, but Electricians in those days cared about their craft and a pride in their work, seems that nowadays it's all Bish Bash, bung it in get paid and Foxtrot Oscar. Not all modern Sparkies are like that mind you, there still are some people, who have a pride factor in their work ethics, quite a few are Forum members.

I agree with that, I did an EICR on 5 year old installation (offices, lecture rooms etc) and the faults for something so new, were unbelievable. The biggest headache was having to rewire a ring circuit in singles (metal trunking above ceiling and dado on the wall) that had 4mm L and E, and 2.5mm as the N!
The client gave me the EIC.....a waste of paper! Absolute shambles! I sometimes worry about making an error on my reports, but after reading that one I need not be worried!
So that isolator is nearly 80 year old....no way anything installed now is gonna last that long!

 

[GBDamo]

Not wanting to harp on about then and now Kev, but Electricians in those days cared about their craft and a pride in their work, seems that nowadays it's all Bish Bash, bung it in get paid and Foxtrot Oscar. Not all modern Sparkies are like that mind you, there still are some people, who have a pride factor in their work ethics, quite a few are Forum members.

I take a little umbridge with that statement.

People get what they pay for and they are not prepared to pay for artisan craftsmen to install things.

My old man has said numerous times he earns less today than thirty years ago.

You get what you pay for, as long as it's compliant and safe, aesthetics come way down the list.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Already here Archy, yes L and N fusing proper job probably 40s 50s no not 1840s, 1940s before the smart Alecs make ageist comments

I was guessing 1930s, so close!

 

[PEG]

I'd have gone for 30's

 

[LeeH]

Have you tried calling Mr Mauger? He even left his phone number...

 

[westward10]

There is a market research company at that address now just looked it up on Google Earth.

 

[KEV 1 N]

There is a market research company at that address now just looked it up on Google Earth.

Yeah, i looked for it too, here’s what it looks like now. The house in Durham was similar to this....

 

[westward10]

That's it be great to have a time machine and go back.

 

[KEV 1 N]

Have you tried calling Mr Mauger? He even left his phone number...

Would be a call beyond the grave!

 

[Squid]

Not wanting to harp on about then and now Kev, but Electricians in those days cared about their craft and a pride in their work, seems that nowadays it's all Bish Bash, bung it in get paid and Foxtrot Oscar. Not all modern Sparkies are like that mind you, there still are some people, who have a pride factor in their work ethics, quite a few are Forum members.

The old fella I did some of my apprenticeship with said when he was training him and he sparks would turn up at the customers flat cap off and when entering the house would wear slippers when working.