Grand Father of switchboard

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Jraef

Jraef

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Electrical Engineer
My guess aligns with GoldDigger. if you look at the nameplate, "MTR" might mean "Motor" (although it could mean meter). If it is a motor, those might be the equivalent of the little spring connections used in time delay fuses so that motor starting current does not cause the fuse to clear. The evidence of something having been changed may have been that they initially used regular fuse links that either cleared on motor starting surges, or were over sized to avoid that and then did NOT properly clear a long time over current condition.
 
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keith gigabyte

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Location
New Kensington, Pa
Old mcc

Old mcc

I spent many years working on DC crane control type controllers while in a furnace coke plant most dated to 1930's some 20's. I have never seen that item. But I'm pretty sure it's not a blow out coil. No arc chutes or tips that I can see anywhere nearby or bolts for same sticking through slate. Most I worked on we're ec&m and some Westinghouse. Also worked on oil bath starters "Rowan" as we called em. Sorry no photos long before days of cell phones
 
Tony S

Tony S

Senior Member
Location
Resting under the Major Oak UK
keith gigabyte said:
I spent many years working on DC crane control type controllers while in a furnace coke plant most dated to 1930's some 20's. I have never seen that item. But I'm pretty sure it's not a blow out coil. No arc chutes or tips that I can see anywhere nearby or bolts for same sticking through slate. Most I worked on we're ec&m and some Westinghouse. Also worked on oil bath starters "Rowan" as we called em. Sorry no photos long before days of cell phones
Click to expand...

Open crane panels are fun when you?re hanging on for grim death as the crane lurches about and you?re trying to test without blowing yourself up.

Happy days, I must have been mad! But it was what we were brought up with as apprentices.

I?ve also got pictures of ?oil bath? starters. They?re DMO-OCB?s to me (Dependant Manual Operation - Oil Circuit Breakers). I?ll dig them out, again they need a separate thread.

I worked on gear installed in the 30?s, all of it ripped out and scrapped. Some of it should have gone in to museums.
 
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jrvazzer

Member
keith gigabyte said:
I spent many years working on DC crane control type controllers while in a furnace coke plant most dated to 1930's some 20's. I have never seen that item. But I'm pretty sure it's not a blow out coil. No arc chutes or tips that I can see anywhere nearby or bolts for same sticking through slate. Most I worked on we're ec&m and some Westinghouse. Also worked on oil bath starters "Rowan" as we called em. Sorry no photos long before days of cell phones
Click to expand...

This is a Westinghouse board. 1930
 
Tony S

Tony S

Senior Member
Location
Resting under the Major Oak UK
Jraef said:
My guess aligns with GoldDigger. if you look at the nameplate, "MTR" might mean "Motor" (although it could mean meter). If it is a motor, those might be the equivalent of the little spring connections used in time delay fuses so that motor starting current does not cause the fuse to clear. The evidence of something having been changed may have been that they initially used regular fuse links that either cleared on motor starting surges, or were over sized to avoid that and then did NOT properly clear a long time over current condition.
Click to expand...

Not fuse links JR, circuit breaker fixed pad contacts. Ours were DC but exactly the same. That is why I say the coils are blow outs for the arc chutes that would be above. The bottom coil clamp has been removed.
 
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gar

Senior Member
Location
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Occupation
EE
1912 Switchboard

1912 Switchboard

150619-1013 EDT

The following photos are not very good resulting from the plexiglas enclosure and the reflection of the close by brick wall. This was 250 V DC at 20,000 A.


PICT2943.jpg

PICT2944.jpg

PICT2922.jpg

PICT2923.jpg

PICT2947.jpg
 
Tony S

Tony S

Senior Member
Location
Resting under the Major Oak UK
gar said:
150619-1013 EDT

The following photos are not very good resulting from the plexiglas enclosure and the reflection of the close by brick wall. This was 250 V DC with 20,000 A meter, rated 4000 kW.


View attachment 12787

View attachment 12788

View attachment 12789

View attachment 12790

View attachment 12791
Click to expand...

The operating handles at the bottom of the panel bring back some memories. You kicked them closed. Some we had your hand went between the arc chutes to close them.
 
Tony S

Tony S

Senior Member
Location
Resting under the Major Oak UK
Ellison distribution OCB?s
We had a 600A 550V unit you could fry eggs on it got that hot. I hated closing it as they were so temperamental.
Ellisonmainboard.jpg


Ellison motor starter OCB?s
These were in all sorts of odd places on the plants. Near the drives and not where they would get covered in muck. The button on the top is the trip, it isn?t when there?s a load of crud under it.
Ellison25.jpg


Reyrolle Type D
These I liked,
Although I wasn?t to happy closing one on to a sort circuit, they fight back!
By the window is a panel of Ellison OCB's
421320813_8cd5efca3a-2_zps06a17b0b.jpg
 
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