Autumn Blessing?

May I wish you a drier Autumn and Winter. With such appalling weather recently, may be we should be considering a holiday abroad for 2010?
Peter Lamb

Weekend Away 18th/19th/20th April 2008

***Please put it in your diaries *** Great news for the Committee, the Holiday Weekend at Portsmouth is a “goer”, since 38 people have signed up for it. What a relief after the York fiasco! There is still an opportunity for those, who have been undecided, to come. To influence you, you may be interested to know who is going :- The Bilyards, Bucks, Crichtons, Ferrier, Gale, Gees, Grimshaws, Haynes, Hoopers, Hughes, Hulberts, Huttons, Lambs, Luscombe, Morgans, Muggletons, Peacocks, Pentecosts & Wrefords. Please contact the Secretary if you wish to join this jolly crowd.

200 Years Of Gas Lighting

In June London celebrated the first gas street lighting in the World in 1807. The first street lamp was in Pall Mall and the gas lighting is still there, which is quite remarkable. There were once over 60,000 gas lamps in the Capital, and it is amazing that 1,600 remain at strategic landmarks and are switched on automatically using clocks that switch the gas on from dusk until dawn. British Gas’s team of six attendants maintain the lamps.

Wroughton To Open To The Public?

The Science Museum is hoping to put on permanent public view their vast collection at Wroughton near Wooton Bassett. The scheme to develop the disused airfield will cost £64 million to put on display 92% of the 250,000 artefacts housed there. The idea is for an interactive system so that visitors can design their own tour. The project needs to win a Lottery Grant of £50 million before it can proceed.

Waste Electricals

From 1st July the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive comes into force, which is likely to hit electrical firms and naturally the costs. It is all about recycling. Firms must first register and then they must be responsible for financing the collection of old appliances when you buy new, but there are plenty of uncertainties like whether the returned appliance is really the seller’s responsibility!

White Paper - “The Future of Britain’s Energy Supplies”

The newspapers have had a field day with the issue of the 300 page White Paper. Within a few years, a third of our power sources are due to close, both nuclear and coal. The only way to beat the energy gap and avoid being dependent upon gas imports, is to build nuclear power stations, but how is the Government going to convince the anti-brigade? It is abundantly clear that renewables will not fill the energy gap, however determined we are to drive this along. The Paper states that renewables will be tripled by 2015 to reach the EU demand that they should reach 20% by 2020, when at present we are only achieving 4%. Critics believe that even with the building of the Severn barrage we would be pushed to reach 20%.
May be the answer lies in wishing to be a leader in the development of carbon capture and storage? At the same time the Government published a consultation document on how they intend to encourage energy efficiency schemes. Most newspapers agree that the White Paper is long overdue and lacks any “teeth” to get things done.

White Knight?

Chief Executive of EDF Energy appeared on the Andrew Marr Sunday programme (27th May) and advocated an EDF investment in nuclear power station building in the UK. Not only have the French considerable up-to-date expertise in their own Country just across the Channel, but they are heavily involved in building a nuclear station in Finland at present, “propped up by implicit subsidies and guarantees from France”, so states the Sunday Telegraph.

King Coal Is Back

Two Welsh mines are to reopen, they are Aberpergwm and Treforgan. Also Budge has reopened a mine at Hatfield, Doncaster. This is prompted by rising coal prices. The reopening of the Welsh mines will bring the total operating in the UK to eight. This development might encourage the building of new “clean-coal” stations where the CO2 is removed to reduce pollution.

Bath Offices

Ex-employees of SWEB, Bath will be saddened to hear that the Dorchester Street offices have recently been demolished after a strong fight by civic societies.

Visit To SS Great Britain

The 22nd May seems such a long time ago now. It must be because the sun was shining and it was warm! The river trip on the ‘Bristol Packet’ was an excellent start to the day. Even for those of us who think that they know Bristol, it was surprising to see the enormous changes that have been made and are still being made along the waterfront between the lock gates at Cumberland Basin and the junction with the Feeder Canal. The new office blocks fronting the harbour along Temple Way could be part of any modern European city although the old warehouses, now converted into expensive apartments, are a reminder of the area’s industrial past. The commentary on the Bristol Packet pointed out the many other links with the past such the entrance to the moat of Bristol Castle, Georges Brewery (now converted into even more flats), Sheldon’s lead shot tower and the site of the medieval Bristol bridge, along with Brunels old bridge at Temple Meads station which has been subsequently supplemented as the number of tracks leaving the station increased. Also, the facade of Temple Back power station could be seen with the area behind it cleared ready for more development. It certainly brought back memories for me standing in the yard there in the early days of my training at 7.30 in the morning waiting to go out with the jointers and also, of the old appliance testing department which overlooked the river.

The section of the journey from the SS Great Britain to Cumberland Basin also had many sites of interest. The commentary on the boat spoke of Samuel Plimsoll, famous of course for his simple, life saving device of a mark painted on the hull of seagoing vessels to ensure they are not overloaded. However, apparently, Plimsoll was also the inventor of rubber soled safety footwear for sailors - the plimsoll or the Dunlop Athletic Plimsoll. Hence the origin of the rather curious common name for them in the west Country. We were also told how Brunel designed a means to scour the bed of the docks, which were no longer scoured by tides of course. This comprised a low level outfall, or underfall which, when opened periodically, caused the docks to be cleansed of silt and also sewage which flowed directly into them at that time. This probably saved many hundreds of deaths from cholera and other such waterborne diseases. There were also a number of other works of Brunel pointed out and this set the scene for the afternoon visit.

After a pleasant lunch in the café and a stroll along the harbour side, we met our guide for the tour of the SS Great Britain. The history of this amazing ship is well documented. The work however has been done to show the history of the ship and of its times, and is truly excellent. From the humidity controlled dock, to the replica accommodation; from the reconstructed engines to the extensive displays in the associated museum, the whole presentation is superb and well worth a visit. Audio guides are available so even if you could not join us on the day, I thoroughly recommend you make the effort to visit under your own steam as it were.

All in all, for those of who managed to get along on the day it was a fascinating visit and, as always with SWEHS, excellent company.
David Peacock

A Nostalgic Visit To The South Devon Railway

Despite it being a very wet day in June, some two dozen members and friends went to Buckfastleigh and enjoyed a visit to the South Devon Railway and, of course, a ride on the steam hauled train to Totnes. The South Devon Railway is owned by a charitable trust, but is operated almost entirely by volunteers, members of the South Devon Railway Association. The line, of some seven miles, is the remaining section of the former GWR branch line - Ashburton to Totnes. It is the only West Country railway with a train of Great Western carriages in daily use, and the railway is operated to reflect the best traditions of the GWR (God's Wonderful Railway!)

In the morning some of us opted to visit the adjacent Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary, whereas the rest were given a most comprehensive and informative tour of the museum and workshops, by Richard Elliot, the General Manager. Dodging the very heavy showers we admired the engines and carriages, many beautifully restored, and all maintained to the highest standard. Often restoration can take many months or years, the dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers is truly remarkable. We enjoyed the comfort of the dining saloons, which were extensively used on the Plymouth Paddington boat train, and are still used as a restaurant on occasional dinner specials. The workshops are also equipped to re-tyre engine and carriage wheels, and Richard explained how this is done, also giving a service to other railways.

After half the party went on a free double-decker bus ride on an original Devon General bus to Buckfastleigh Abbey and back, we enjoyed lunch at the station restaurant. At 2.15pm we embarked on the train, and were amused to see that our coach was labelled “Reserved for the South Western Electricity Histotical Society”! It is a delightful ride along the Dart Valley, crossing and re-crossing the river, which on this day was still so in spite of the heavy rain. The line terminates at Littlehempston Station, just short of Totnes main line station. Time did not permit for us to use the pedestrian bridge over the river to visit Totnes town, so after a short stroll to visit the station buildings and to look at and photograph the engine, (No 5526 in British Railways livery - a slight disappointment, perhaps?) we returned to our GWR coach and so back to Buckfastleigh. Definitely a trip to be repeated on a fine sunny day; then one really ought to take the opportunity to visit historic Totnes and/or the idyllic Staverton Station en route. It was a most interesting day, and our thanks go to David Hole for arranging it and to Richard Elliot for being our excellent guide in the workshops.
Ted Luscombe

Carbon Trading

The newspapers claim that Carbon Trading isn’t working. This is the system for off-setting, i.e. providing cancelling out alternatives to producing “greenhouse gas” emissions, which is riddled with fraud. There is nothing to stop a company from claiming to run a scheme that does not exist. It is suggested that there should be some sort of regulation.

Heilbronn Tramways

My wife and I stayed in Heilbronn in mid-June 2007. Heilbronn is situated between Stuttgart and Heidelberg in Baden-Wurtemberg and we were surprised to find that the town had a new tramway, a Stadtbahn connection with Karlsruhe and a railway museum. I visited the Heilbronn Tourist Office on the Friday morning to investigate the cost of using the tramway in Heilbronn and was informed that it was free in the town centre. After visiting the large and well-stocked model railway shop south of the town I travelled to the hotel by tram.

Heilbronn is 75 km east of Karlsruhe. After successive extensions, the tram/train reached Heilbronn station via DB track and on 26th September 1999 the extension of line Stadtbahn No: S4 from Eppingen to the railway station of Heilbronn opened. Stadtbahn Line S4 runs from Baden-Baden via Karlruhe city centre to the centre of Heilbronn. Even before the opening of the connection to the city centre the number of passengers on the S4 line between Heilbronn and Bockingen rose from 1900 to 4600 daily. Using a 1400 m town section from Harmonie and a new interchange at Heilbronn Railway Station enables a direct tramway journey from the centre of Heilbronn to the centre of Karlsruhe. The DB line operates at 15 kV 16⅔ Hz a.c. and the street tramway in Heilbronn at 750 V d.c.

Heilbronn Residents requested that the tram/train continued into the city-centre returning to the type of transport service which the original urban tramway provided. On 21st July 2001 the first stretch of line in Heilbronn’s city centre was commissioned. The line was then extended by 8 km to Ohringen in 2003. The train/tram line now has a total length of 130 km from Baden-Baden. I wish that we had travelled to Baden-Baden instead of visiting Heidelberg, a great disappointment from the magic city I remember of forty years ago this summer. Adjacent is photo of a train/tram coming off the rail network outside Heilbronn station.
John Perkin

Heilbronn Railway Museum

On the Saturday evening a fellow railway enthusiast on the trip and I caught the Statbahn No. S4 tram from outside the hotel to the local Railway Museum, which is only open at weekends.
Web site:- http://www.eisenbahnmuseum-heilbronn.de/
In error we caught a fast tram, which did not stop at the museum and continued for a further three stops before halting. We then caught a slow No. S4 back to the railway museum, but still had nearly an hour of viewing before it closed. As many of the locomotives as possible were photographed and we were made very welcome by the staff on duty, whilst having a cup of tea in their café. Examples of diesel, electric and steam locomotives were on show.
John Perkin

LMS Signalling

Member, Graham Warburton has written a significant document, involving considerable research for LMS Society, of which he is a member, on LMS Signals. It details the automatic Train Controls (ATC) in use by LMS from 1856. He discusses the various systems adopted by the other companies finally explaining the LMS “Hudd” system, which the LMS experimented with for number of years before adopting it as standard in 1947 only to be baulked by nationalisation of the rail industry and so was never fully installed. (LMS stood for London, Midland & Scottish).

Graham’s document is very long at 22 pages and if anybody wishes to read more about this subject, please would they ring Graham on 01823 413676 when I am sure he would lend you his disc.

New Hydro Plant

It was interesting to read that South West Water have installed a new hydro-electric station in the South West. We are all familiar with Mary Tavy and Morwellham stations originally built in the 1930’s by Christy Brothers, which are now operated by South West Water, but with the closure of Chagford, one wouldn’t have expected further investment in this by the Water Company. They have commissioned a new small hydro station at Littlehempston near Totnes on the River Dart.

Also a group has been formed called CASE (Chagford Action for Sustainable Energy) with the idea to reinstate the plant as a commercial proposition. The owner of the site is South West Water – interesting!!

A friend of member, Ted Clapton, owns a mill at Lustleigh and 20 years ago installed a 2-3kW generator. Ted says there was enough water flowing then to generate for 10 months of the year, but now that has reduced to only 2 months a year and so is not used. There were many problems with blocked screens and too much water on some occasions and too little water at others - otherwise it was a great scheme!

Wire-Less House?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a system they call WiTricity for “beaming” electric power across a room. They can light a 60 watt bulb across a room without connecting wires. MIT reckons within five years it will be possible to have a wire free house. They say that the beams are not dangerous as they would be at a different resonance for each appliance. What is not stated in the newspaper articles is the maximum transmittable power. We will have to wait with bated breath!

Yelverton Electricity

n a booklet published in 1984 entitled “The Brief History of Yelverton” written by Crispin Gill, I have discovered a section devoted to electricity, and it is another facet of the history of electricity in West Devon and Dartmoor. Crispin Gill was a much respected local historian, who lived in Yelverton for many years. I suspect that the article is based on his original research.

There was no electricity in Yelverton until after World War 1. Norman Wilson was improving the Devon Tors Hotel and he joined with Mr Trethewy at the garage and one or two other residents to install a generating plant. Street lights were put up along the path from the Devon Tors to Leg o’Mutton (the road layout was different then) and there was another street light at the top of Meavy Lane. Other private generators followed, in the grounds of Oakfield in Meavy Lane, behind the Leg o’Mutton Inn and behind the Yelverton Garage. In time the Wilsons became tired of the frequent failures and the overloaded system and had their own generator.

The system was 110volt DC for lighting only, with only a few favoured customers being allowed five ampere power plugs. It was switched to 240 volts DC in 1927, and everyone using electricity had massive banks of accumulators for use when generators were not running.

This all changed when the pioneering Christie brothers brought a 240 volt AC supply to Yelverton in 1933. The original source was a hydro-electric plant at Morwellham, supplemented later by a hydro-electric generator at Peter Tavy. This became the West Devon Electricity Company, with their offices in a tin shed at Binkham Hill. The West Devon company was nationalised in 1948 but there were still West Devon clerks and fitters among the staff in the 1970s, and the tin shed remained in use in the 1980s.

I have reproduced the section as it was written. I believe that it adds a little more to our knowledge of electricity in Devon. Yelverton is situated on the edge of Roborough Down and on the road between Plymouth and Tavistock. Whilst many members of SWEHS may know it well, there will be many who do not. On the other hand one or two may have had some connection with the offices described. With its clean moorland air, Yelverton was a very popular destination with people from Plymouth for a day out. Indeed in the summer the GWR used to run special trains to Yelverton, for which the return fare was 6d (2 ½ p). Wealthy Plymouthians built some very fine houses, and it is almost certain that these residents instigated the demand for electricity. In World War 2, an airfield was built adjacent to Yelverton. This required major changes to the road layout, and the requisition and/or destruction of some of the fine houses. Yelverton was never quite the same again, but it is still a popular commuter area.

The implication is that the tin shed was the offices of the West Devon company, but I suspect that it was really a branch office. I remember this shed, and I had always imagined that this was the site of the generating station, but this seems unlikely.
Ted Luscombe

New Electric Vehicle

Smiths Electric Vehicles of Tyne & Wear are manufacturing a new electric vehicle than their conventional milk float, which would only travel a maximum of 30 miles on a charge. These new vehicles can do 100 miles before a charge is necessary. The change is the battery of course from lead acid to sodium nickel chloride. Interestingly the voltage is upped from 72 volts to 270 volts. Royal Mail and Supermarket giants are lining up to buy, the latter for their home delivery service, but mainly to show their “green” credentials!!

Volk's Electric Railway

In the AIA news (Summer edition) there was mention of an original model of the carriage on stilts turning up which had been made for Magnus Volk in 1893. It was the most bizarre electric railway ever, I would imagine, because the carriage, nicknamed “Daddy Longlegs”, as per picture, travelled along the seashore with the rails set in the sea. The electricity was obtained from a trolley wire hung on posts, at 21ft above the spring tide level, set in the beach on the land side. The web site of VERA (Volk’s Electric Railway Association) describes how Magnus Volk built an electric railway along the front at Brighton, which went as far as Paston Place. He was keen to extend it to Rottingdean, but the terrain was unsuitable for an electric railway, the beach being the only option. This unique railway opened in 1896 with the carriage, suitably named “The Pioneer” powered by a 25hp GEC motor. The scheme only lasted for a few years, due to erosion of the foundations and was finally closed in 1902.

Trolly Good!

The City of Leeds has won funding for building a Trolleybus network of 12.5miles from the Yorkshire & Humberside Transport Board of £150 million, which the first phase will cost £300 million. It’s cheaper than a tram system, since it doesn’t require rail tracks, which disturb other utilities. A tram system would have cost over double that amount. Why don’t other cities do the same? I have always been a fan of the trolleybus since they are so quiet. It should be complete by 2011.
Peter Lamb [Web Masters Note: Trolleybuses now on the Web Site including Video for Broadbanders Click Here!]

Channel Rail Link

Good news for European travellers, Eurostar Services will switch from Waterloo to St. Pancras on 14th November.

Special Visit To Tyntesfield

Photo of the Generating Station Building today

On Thursday 24 May Peter Lamb, John Gale, Marcus Palmen & I were invited to the Tyntesfield to look at the site of the Estate "Power Station" and adjacent sawmill. We were met by Geoff Combs, a retired BT Engineer and one of the Trust's Inventory Officers (voluntary!). There is a degree of doubt about the evolution of the electricity supply to the estate and we had been invited to see if we could throw any light on the saga.

The power station building is in a remarkably good state of preservation (see photo). One part of the complex housed what must have been a substantial battery - unfortunately the"lantern" roof is in a poor state - but the layout and size of the building would confirm the existence of two 110v batteries. Adjacent to the battery room is the engine house where there is clear evidence of the previous existence of two steam generating units. These were supplied by Davy Paxman in 1889.and appear to have been compact boiler/steam engine/dynamo units. Each boiler had its own flue - both of which still exist and are in very good condition. All traces of the original electrical installation have gone - but the foundations of the two steam plants can be seen. There is a theory that the eastern flue is connected to the heating boiler in the chapel down the hill below the power station, it is certainly blanked off from the interior of the building...

Mystery surrounds the next stage in the development of the electricity supply to the main house. The North Somerset Electricity Supply Company (Christy’s) provided a supply along the main road to Wraxall below the house in the late 1920's and supplies were given to the Home Farm and adjacent cottages. It is believed that the steam plant was replaced with a diesel generator at about this time but this cannot be confirmed. There is no positive evidence in the engine room of any foundations for a generating set or for any fuel storage tank. It is known that the North Somerset Co. offered a supply to the house in 1928 but it appears to have been rejected and private generation continued until the 1950s. The main house was apparently rewired for 230V and an 11kV supply provided adjacent to the stable block in December 1952. (This still exists today, see photo opposite).

Adjacent to the engine house is a sawmill with a sizeable band saw known to have been installed in 1952/3 with the provision of 400/230V a.c. supplies? There is a strange feeling about the saw mill - it appears to have been abandoned in the middle of cutting up a sizeable tree!

The National Trust has discovered much about the electricity supply to the house - but a lot is still to be resolved - particularly the period between 1920 and 1952.
Roger Hughes

Twanging in East Yorks

Marcus Palmen has a nephew in Spaldington, East Yorks, who sent these entertaining details of an unusual event up North. “We have an 11kV power pole in our front garden with a transformer on the top. It got struck by lightening at the weekend which blew one of the insulators to pieces. The cable dropped suspended from the transformer terminal and the next pole a few hundred yards away across the main road to Bridlington. We didn't realise except the house lights dimmed. I went back out to continue washing my car and kept hearing a twanging, it was the cab of lorries and coaches catching on the dangling cable and being twanged off as they passed by. The cars missed it being lower. In the middle of reporting it to the police and electricity board, the cable was caught by a lorry and it pulled the terminal off the transformer which flew through the air before the metal ferrule wrapped itself around the diagonal tensioning wire of another power pole 4 metres away at the road side. The cable snapped and lay strewn across the road. The lorry driver stopped to inspect the damage to his lorry then went on his way. When I eventually found a way of getting out of my garden (we have electric gates!) I found the cable laid in the road with cars driving over the top of it. For fear that it might still be live I left it well alone. 6 hours later we had a new transformer fitted and working. Now I'm left with the 4 great off road lorry tracks across my lawn as a reminder of the days events!!!!”

TETRA System

For the uninitiated “TETRA” is the radio communications system used by the Police and emergency services, so I am lead to believe. A firm at Midsomer Norton, Software Radio Technology (SRT) specialises in developing the hardware used in the TETRA System and they have won a £5M contract with the Chinese Air Force, who will use it as a service at bases on the ground.

Biomass Fuel

We have heard little about generating electricity from biomass fuel, but Helius Energy, based at Middlesbrough, is building generating plant powered by this fuel. The sources are wood, dung, methane gas and grain alcohol. The firm intends to develop 5MW plants located where sustainable and renewable feedstocks are readily available. They are negotiating to buy spent grain from Whisky Distillers in Scotland. May be we will be coining a new term “whisky electricity”.

Black Country Museum

Some buildings have been removed from the Old Birmingham Road in the Midlands, and transferred brick-by-brick to the Black Country Museum. We were asked earlier in the year to provide information about house wiring in about 1910, the year the buildings were first built. We have provided copies of pages from a Kennedy Rankin book describing interior wiring of the period and they are delighted, inviting the Society officers to visit the Museum when the project is complete.

Members News

David Rees David’s wife Mary has persuaded Peter Lamb to give a talk to her Looe U3A group in May next year, which is long way to go from Bristol, but she has offered him a bed for the night - interesting!
John Heath & Alan Kitley have both turned 70 during the Summer.
John Perkin has been spending holidays in Germany, hence the articles on German electric trams and railways.
Marcus Palmen is giving a talk to Bristol’s Retired Professional Engineer’s Club on his Wartime Experiences in Europe.
David Lock is still struggling with the after effects of his stroke. We wish him well.
David Legg, our accounts auditor, has had an eye operation and is making good progress.

Covent Garden Switchboard

This picture was given to the Society recently from a non-member who thought we may be interested. It is fascinating to see a board of that period in considerable detail. Anyone care to date the picture – suggest around 1900 maybe?

EPEA»EMA»Prospect

At a recent meeting of the EMA Sector in the larger Prospect Union, it was decided to retitle the sector as “Energy Supply Sector” to encompass all the groups now within this area of union support. It has been a long road from the old days of the EPEA with the drastic reduction of engineers within the Electricity Supply Industry.

Goblin Up The Dust

In 1933 the Walkers of Norwich bought a top-of-the-range Goblin vacuum cleaner for £9.00, two weeks wages for the husband, Henry. Their investment was very worthwhile since their son, Stanley, is still using it today 74 years later. He says “They built things to last in those days”.

Same Pub, New Name

On the second Thursday of the month we are still meeting for lunch in the same pub near Cairns Road, but it has changed its name, due to change of ownership. No longer is it “Cock O’North”, now it is called the “Westbury Park Tavern”. With all the other pub name changes to crazy names, I must say this does seem pretty boring!!

Funny?

Question : What bird lives in a mine shaft? Answer : A Minah bird of course, stupid!
Member had had enough of life, so he went to Paris and jumped off a bridge. He went insane (in Seine) !!