The Old Bill..........

[Lectrician]

There is a site we work on which still has the BILL 300amp switch fuses similar to those pictured as the main isolator.

Two are fitted butt to butt (one upside down) with a linking kit of busbars, one switch being for the generator and the other for the mains. The central bit with the busbar linking is for the load (busbar extends across wall). There is a kit fitted which forces you to turn off one of the switches via the lever, you then have to move an iron bar before being able to turn the other switch on. Difficult to explain, but a very early interlock!

 

[ricicle]

Looked good but dangerous crap, they soon abandoned it for the glasgow range which was spring driven and fault free.

I think you'll find 'Glasgow' was made by MEM

 

[Lectrician]

Isolators that where not spring driven where generally ISOLATORS and not functional isolators - You where meant to remove load before operating the isolator.

There was an old ottermill changeover switch on a site we did some maintenance for - this was not spring loaded, and it was often operated on load (not by us). The copper operators where well pitted, and the switch used to smoke a little when operated.

 

[ricicle]

Isolators that where not spring driven where generally ISOLATORS and not functional isolators - You where meant to remove load before operating the isolator.

There was an old ottermill changeover switch on a site we did some maintenance for - this was not spring loaded, and it was often operated on load (not by us). The copper operators where well pitted, and the switch used to smoke a little when operated.

All the hundreds and hundreds of metres of overhead busbar trunking was Ottermill. Solid stuff !

 

[ricicle]

Some more photos if anyone's interested.
Factory before demolition

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• ricicle
• 8 Sep 2009
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Some of the 800Amp supplies into the main factory

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700kW motor on it's way to Sweden

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• 8 Sep 2009
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[Lectrician]

Ottermill used to be made in Devon (Ottery St Mary I recall).

We used their MCCB boards for a couple jobs - lovelly. Loads of space. They where geared up for dorman smith breakers. I am sure I had some photos of an older one somewhere....

 

[SUNRAY]

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• ricicle
• 7 Sep 2009
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That all looks very spick & span - shame about the magic marker labelling.

At least its labeled!

 

[ricicle]

Stop me if I'm boring you......

11 kV switches for 1000kva Tx's (ours not the REC's)

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• 9 Sep 2009
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LV main switchgear (or MV as it was called years ago !)

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[ban-all-sheds]

Does anybody ever look at the meters, and log the readings?

 

[ricicle]

Does anybody ever look at the meters, and log the readings?

They used to when it was all still standing !

If you look at the bottom picture there is a wooden bench with some digital readouts on them. These were linked to CTs and measured the kW and kVA. These readings were then compared to the energy company's.
Very old fashioned I know but it was an old factory with old fashioned guys when I first started there.

Note the asbestos roof tiles and original 1960 fluorescent fitting.