Hopefully this is the right forum for this question. I just puchased the Northern Light Powerhouse Walthers kit. the era of my layout will be 50s early 60s. I wonder if these powerhouses were even used then. Someone told me they quit using these in the 40s. Not finding much on the internet, can anyone shed any light on when these structures became outdated?
Coal powered powerhouses
If you mean usage of coal
If you mean usage of coal power in general, coal is the most abundant, most efficient fossil fuel for electricity generation. If you mean usage of the style of building (brick), many power stations were built out of brick and added onto with other materials through the years.
If you have ever been to
If you have ever been to NYC, you would see that Con_Ed supplied more than electricity from their generating stations.
Steam vapors rise from manholes all over Manhattan. After generating electricity, the steam is piped to multiple buildings for heating/air conditioning.
Many industries that needed heat for their processes would still run a generating plant since they still had to burn the coal anyway.
Bob in IDaho
Is the building for a
Is the building for a municipal source or power for an industry? How prosperous has your industry or town been since the 1890s-1920s when a building looking like that kit would have been built? If the town has grown a lot the powerhouse may have been added on to, or a second powerplant may have been built. If the town has not grown much or gotten smaller, then the plant probably would have just been let be.
At the mill where I work, there is a powerhouse not unlike that kit which was used into the early 80's. It hasn't been used since, but still stands.
Downtown there is one side of the old city powerplant (still in use but as a backup/auxilliary to a larger plant built south of town) which you can see must have looked similar to that model at one time, the other three sides have extensions built on of more modern materials, steel and stucco'd block. The smokestack has also recieved a steel covering at some point in it's history. I don't know when these renovations would have been made.
Up in Manitou, the hydroelectric plant looks pretty much the same today as when it was built a century ago. Other powerplants have been built, of course.
I don't know if this post helps you or not, but it is based on my own observations.
In short, yes they were
In short, yes they were in use then and still are in use today.
Some have been added on to with added boilers, turbines and generators most always they had an extension added on to the existing structure to house the added equipment.
Most utilities have websites with photos posted that you can look at and see the additions that have been made over the years due to the increase in the demand for the electrical power and or steam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AlliantEnergySheboyganWisconsinPowerPlant.jpg
Joined: 2004-12-29