[BC] Power distribution

[Gary Peterson]

" My ex-father-in-law worked for a time in a Munipal Power Plant in Central
Ohio. I watched he many times add one of the gen plants to the line in the
early evening when the demand went up. All those TV's you know. It was very
primitive ... watch the light bulbs with the soon to be added gen set
running off line. When the lights went up and down together, he'd push in a
great big manual switch to add the gen plant. He said if you pushed it when
the bulbs were bright, the gen set would be damaged (and he'd loose his job)
WOW
Bob Groome "

An old-timer that worked for a power company in the 40s & 50s told me about
some hapless individual he knew that worked at a power plant.  Apparently,
this fellow had very poor timing and/or slow reflexes.  He was watching a
synchroscope (looks like a clock with one hand) while altering the speed of
a generator he was to bring on line.  If there was a difference between the
generator and the grid, the hand on the synchroscope would go round and
round (speed and direction of the hand depending on whether the generator
was too fast or slow and how much.  There were two marks either side of the
12 o'clock position where things were close enough to safely close the
circuit.  Each time the hand passed 12 o'clock, this fellow would stamp his
foot to establish some sort of timing.  Finally, he slammed the switch home.
His timing was far enough off that he bent the shaft on the generator.  They
found him a desk job until retirement.

When the Homestake gold mine was still in operation, in the Lead/Deadwood
area of SD, they operated two hydroelectric plants to generate part of the
power the mine used.  An 8000 ft. deep mine uses a lot of juice for air
conditioning, lighting, lifts and pumping.  I happened by the hydro plant in
Spearfish one day and got a tour.  It was like going back into the 20s.
Most of the machinery and electrical equipment was manufactured/installed
back then.  I got to see the plant operator adjust a floodgate while
watching an ancient synchroscope to bring a generator on line that had been
down for maintenance.  I wish I had taken some photos.  In the early 1900s,
the Homestake also had spark-gap transmitters at each hydro plant, used to
communicate with the electrical office at the mine.  They had a big auction
when the mine closed and that's probably where some of that stuff went.
Now, the abandoned mine may become an underground neutrino lab.  There's
been a neutrino detector (tank filled with trichloroethlyene) down there for
decades.

Gary, K?CX