Where have all the substations gone?

[Donkmeister]

I've noticed that substations seem to be coming less and less commonplace. It used to be quite a common sight, every few streets an ugly chainlink gate keeping us out of the buzzing transformers.

The house I lived in 20 years ago had a substation on the street corner, that is now home to a tree. A substation round the corner from here was sold off and someone extended their garden onto the land. And I'm sure I've seen other empty enclosures that look like they held substation sets.

I'm not complaining, substations aren't the nicest looking thing on the planet and make horrible noises, but I'm just wondering why we seem to need less of them now, when we're using more leccy than ever!

 

[jj4091]

Sorry I cannot give you an answer to your query, but I wish they would get rid of them in our area

 

[markymark2406]

perhaps the ****** are doing a roaring trade?

 

[jabuzzard]

I've noticed that substations seem to be coming less and less commonplace. It used to be quite a common sight, every few streets an ugly chainlink gate keeping us out of the buzzing transformers.

The house I lived in 20 years ago had a substation on the street corner, that is now home to a tree. A substation round the corner from here was sold off and someone extended their garden onto the land. And I'm sure I've seen other empty enclosures that look like they held substation sets.

I'm not complaining, substations aren't the nicest looking thing on the planet and make horrible noises, but I'm just wondering why we seem to need less of them now, when we're using more leccy than ever!

They tend now to be in enclosed buildings to stop the local youth population from climbing inside and getting themselves killed.

Also modern transformers are much smaller for a given power output, presumably due to better design and improved materials in their construction. There was a Grand Designs where a large building which had been a substation was converted. They showed you the new replacement that was a fraction of the size next door.

There may well be a move to fewer but larger capacity substations. Personally I have never seen a substation every few streets where ever I have lived.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sorry I cannot give you an answer to your query, but I wish they would get rid of them in our area

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[wingcoax]

Nice one BAS

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Scary thing is how cheap that stuff is - £7-8 worth brought down the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie...

 

[timtheenchanter]

just a punt, but especially in my area is the now lack of any manufacturing/mills that would one have needed hefty 3Phase supplies, now just housing

 

[Lectrician]

There is an estate near me that must have around 8 or 9 subs.

It is not these that look awful. They are all hidden well.

The estate was build during the trial period of 'feeder pillars' which negated the need to joint any cables underground.

A 120mm 4 core waveform cable leaves the sub and loops through 2 or 3 feeder pillars. The feeder pillars are basically vertical busbar chambers with a GRP lift off housing. You can get fused and unfused versions, but the unfused are the most common.

Each feeder pillar probably feeds around a 12-18 houses, via split concentric 16mm tails from the feeder pillar direct to the houses. Some are 25mm runs with a 16mm looping from the cutout through the wall to the neighbours.

They do not look too pretty, are on the boundry of a garden and the road, often in a hedge or in the way of a fence etc.

They where renowned for being damaged by cars and vandals, and many simply ended up being jointed out underground.

The GRP housings are of an age where a good tap will break them.

They become homes to ants, catterpillars, spiders, mice etc. Often resulting in power outages.

I reckon there must still be a good dozen of these on the estate. I have seen some replaced for ABB metal equivalents, and some have been done away with with a huge tarmac repair to the path, so I assume they have been jointed out.

I think these pillars look worse than subs.

I guess it seemed a good idea at the time.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They become homes to ants, catterpillars, spiders, mice etc. Often resulting in power outages.

Could be worse...

 

[RF Lighting]

just a punt, but especially in my area is the now lack of any manufacturing/mills that would one have needed hefty 3Phase supplies, now just housing

Guiseley?

 

[Stoday]

In the 1950's some parts of Leicester still had buried transformers.

These 2kV to LV transformers were buried in the footpath with an iron cover. From time-to-time they would get waterlogged and blow the lid off.

They were fed from a two phase (i.e. 90° phase angle) 2kV network that was supplied from Scott connected transformers.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.milk.com/wall-o-shame/bucket.html

 

[JohnD]

I wonder how they sell off the disused sites

some of them would make useful off-street parking or garage positions, or maybe a good shed for the adjoining property.

 

[Steve]

All the new estates round here have them in little brick buildings with double ventilated doors on the front, normally facing onto a roadway for ease of access. Some of the older estates have them down back alleys just behind railings.