Why is Times Square still lit?

[mbrooke]

Looks to me like Con Ed changed the networks around a bit... at least the supply substations. The Empire State building went down according to news reports:


https://www.newsweek.com/new-york-c...town-upper-west-side-42nd-anniversary-1449140

Posts to social media showed landmarks in the city without power, including Rockefeller Center, the Empire State building and parts of Times Square.

In 2015 and earlier official reports confirm that the Empire network was fed from Murray Hill, and that Murray Hill is fed by Vernon. So in this configuration loss of 59th st would do nothing. The network configurations during Hurricane Sandy:

 

[mbrooke]

Empire and Fashion supplied by Murray Hill. The number of transformers mentioned in the table are those with PQ monitoring, not the total number in the substation or network.

 

[mbrooke]

Murray Hill supplied by Vernon at the time of Sandy.

 

[mbrooke]

The blue line represents 5 138kv feeders originating from Vernon supplying East 40th st and Murray Hill substation.

If wondering Queens bridge takes 138kv and steps it down to 69kv with 7 69kv feeders supplying East 63rd st.

 

[mbrooke]

The Vernon double ring bus, which interconnects generation to the 138kv transmission system in Queens.

38M01, 38M03, 38M04, 38M05, 38M06 feed out to 40th st and Murray Hill.

My guess for the numbering (missing 38M02) is that at one point 7 69kv cables fed out but were upgraded to 5 138kv cables.


If I have it right 38M72 is no longer "capped off" (alive on back-feed) but connected through a phase angle regulator were some power can be exchanged between West 49th 138kv and Vernon.

 

[mbrooke]

Vernon substation showing the 38M72 phase angle regulator (quadrature phase shifting booster) at the top right.


One of these >>>

...

 

[mbrooke]

A 2006 picture of Vernon without the phase angle regulator present on 38M72.

Con Edison did the right thing and replaced the maroon colored breakers with SF6 breakers.

The 3 round cylinder with radiators on some outgoing lines I believe to be iron core current limiting reactors.

However, the flood risk is hellacious with the list of essential equipment disquiet being voluminous.