Exeter Power Station
Thanks to the initiative of Henry Massingham, the Exeter Electric Light Co was established, and they built a generating station, Rockfield Works on New North Road, which began generating in 1889. Initially there were two AC and two DC generators. By 1896 money was needed to increase capacity, and the City Council stepped in to purchase the station, to be operated under the name of the City of Exeter Electric Company. By 1899 the output had grown to 575kwh, and the council were contemplating an electric tram system for the city.[1]
In 1895 the plant comprised [2]:-
Two Compound Engines, each of 150 IHP each.
One Compound Engine, of 86 IHP
Two High Speed Engines, each of 26 IHP
Three Water Tube Boilers and a small Worthington Feed Pump.
Two Thomson-Houston Dynamos suitable for Arc Lighting.
Two 75-unit and one 50-unit alternators made by the Brush Company.
1901 Exeter Corporation decided that an extra generating station should be built, at the head of the canal basin, at Haven Banks. Boilers from Babcock and Wilcox, steam engines from Belliss and Morcom, and generating machinery from the British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co were installed. Local firm, Willey and Co were contracted to design and build the coal feed equipment and additional iron work. Cabling in stone lined conduits, from the power station throughout the city, was laid by Siemens Brothers of London. Coal was delivered by rail and ship, to be handled automatically through a gravity bucket conveyor system that fed it into 500 ton bunkers to be discharged onto the electrically driven mechanical stokers and into the furnace - the ash was automatically removed.
Alongside the four new, steam-driven alternators, the old boilers and generating equipment from the New North Road Station were moved to the Haven Banks station.
1905 The new power station was opened
Photograph here shows part of the engine room, with two Ferranti steam-driven alternator sets, a motor-generator, and two other sets, possibly driven by Belliss and Morcom engines.[3]
1927 Output from the Haven Banks power station was 4 MW
1930 Capacity was 15.35 MW.
1948 Nationalisation
1955 The Haven Banks (Haven Road) station closed.
The attractive former engine house, with its white glazed brick interior and ornamental balustrades, has survived, and is now used as the Quay Climbing Centre.
2010 Geograph photo of interior here.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [3] Local Memories