Service head query

[Lucien Nunes]

Hi RWJ
Thanks for the welcome, with this hat on I'm the erstwhile curator of a forthcoming electrical museum 'Electrokinetica', but I do electrical installation as part of the day job too. So it's a bit of a busman's holiday really. I'll go and introduce myself properly on the new members forum area. A friend pointed out the picture of the vintage service cutout, and I thought it was about time to sign up so I could add my approval to the OP trying to save it for posterity.
Cheers
Lucien

 

[Silly Sausage]

Welcome to EF Lucien.
Be sure to let us know when and where your museum opens.

 

[thomas-1981]

From that statement, you’ve never come across old switchgear.

It would out last any modern isolator.

I do agree things aren't made as good as they once were but I think this is by it's best. Did a spell fitting meters and used to attend cut out replacements and guys from DNO said these were getting stuck in the off position quite often. Usually as per the OP new occupier being curious.

 

[Geordie Spark]

they were in their prime in your time, geordie. LOL.

I remember passing the factory in the train on the way to the seaside (South Shields) with my Mum.

I think the site has been flattened now - as has much of C A Parsons.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

It's an ask.

Could you post up some pictures of the wooden capping and casing?

I’m interested in anything that’s electrical and old.

As an industry we don’t have a long history when compared to the other trades.

Much as we despise plumbers and fitters, we are the new boys in town.

What even Tel :tongue3:

 

[Phoenix]

dont get `im started on Reyrolle....

My dad worked there!!! Forest Hall?

 

[Marvo]

Difficult to tell from the photo but if that's bitumen leaking from the supply cable then it also should be replaced at the same time.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Welcome along Lucien,

Are you a collector / museum?

Lucien...
is that a foreign word for:

 

[Geordie Spark]

My dad worked there!!! Forest Hall?

Hebburn - South side of the river.

Forest Hall is North side, but it's possible Reyrolle had a place there too.

Here's a Wikki link: A. Reyrolle & Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Lucien...
is that a foreign word for...

Nope, just the French version of the Latin for light. I used to be a bulb in a former life. 150W GLS pearl BC, according to my birth cert.
L

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Nope, just the French version of the Latin for light. I used to be a bulb in a former life. 150W GLS pearl BC, according to my birth cert.
L

hmm...
i think i may have been this in a former life...

 

[Knobhead]

Alfonso Reyrolle started the company making industrial switchgear. One of their best lines was HH switchgear, people think HH comes from its lay out. Reyrolle bought the rights to manufacture Holmes Hazmyer (Belgium) switchgear in the UK.

Yes Glenn I do like Reyrolle gear. The company is still going but only makes protection relays now.

HH gear. Sorry it’s a drawing, I took out loads of this stuff and never took a photograph.

Class “B” 11KV dual bus-bar horizontal isolation.

Class “D” We used it at 550V. I loved this gear, even though it tried to kill me!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

where was that then in pic 2 Tony?
power station?

 

[Knobhead]

The original maintenance manual. I’ve still got it!

Top bars were NWEB the bottom our power station.

With a bit of jigging about we could parallel NWEB to EMEB with our two power stations at 11KV.

We owned about 50 miles of OH lines. Part of the network had at it’s time the longest OH line span in the world.

 

[Dcf]

I used to work on an ex ww2 site that had a load of reyrolle switchgear in the main switch room.
wish I had taken pictures in the day ....work of art and totally bulletproof.
it used to be mostly simplex switches left over from dc days in my neck of the woods.
still in serviceable condition after 60-70 years believe it or not.
capstan casing was made out of beech if I'm not mistaken.
it used to make great firewood..
i used to see loads of it when I started out but I've not seen any in ages tbh
must be getting old

 

[Phoenix]

Thanks for the info, I remember now it was Reyrolle Parsons. He then went on to LSE (Lawrence Scott Electromotors I think it was). There was a couple of others as well but it was tough times then so he moved around quite a bit. Finished with GEC Alsthom I think...
I agree that old head would certainly be a talking piece if cleaned up and put on show...

 

[Marvo]

I’m interested in anything that’s electrical and old.

we would certainly be interested in giving it a home at Electrokinetica where we are starting to build displays of early wiring systems. I need to find complete sets of equipment from each decade - easier said than done these days.

I have a few south african equivalents, similar to the one in the OP but 60amp 3-phase cast iron with internal blade isolator and ceramic fuse carriers. Organise the courier and they're yours if you want them, I ripped them out of a small commercial installation last week and they're heading for the scrap bin otherwise. I'll post a photo of two later if can find my camera.

 

[Marvo]

Took a while but here's the photos;

 

[Knobhead]

Don't know about Lucien, but you can scrap that for me.

Interesting to see though, thanks.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Took a while but here's the photos;

View attachment 19795

View attachment 19796

what manufacturer are they....?
is it `the power & light company` or something?