East Yelland power station, North Devon.

[Andy873]

I had a look at this map published in 1972:

View map: Ordnance Survey, Sheet 163 - Barnstaple - C Edition - Ordnance Survey of Great Britain. One-inch to the mile, Seventh... - Ordnance Survey One-inch, Great Britain, Seventh Series, 1952-1961

The first observation is that there were two power lines running out of East Yelland PS (power station). One heads South West down to and past Bodmin, the second takes a convoluted route inland South, West, and turns North again and stops at Barnstaple.

If the first power line (towards Bodmin) does not connect to another power line (the National Grid) then I could image Barnstaple would be at risk of power cuts should something happen at the East Yelland PS.

Regarding the PS shunter:

While researching my old branch line in East Lancs, I looked at the power stations of Huncoat, Padiham, the gas works at Padiham, Great Harwood and Clitheroe. What I found was these sites had a mixture of motive power ranging from diesel, electric, steam and fireless locos. Some sites had just one shunter, some more.

The point made to me was you only needed a small shunter to typically move just one or two wagons at a time - if the shunter was just powerful enough to do the job then that was sufficient.

The other point was that the sites that had more than one shunter were numbered 1,2, and 3 - as this East Yelland PS shunter was numbered 3 I wonder were there once two others?

 

[Gloster]

As regards the number 3, there were at least two other locos used during construction, but the number might might just be from a previous use; I believe that the loco came from elsewhere (Earley, possibly). Or it might be pure happenstance.

Yes, a small shunter would suffice to move a couple of wagons at a time as that was probably all that was necessary and that the facility required. There weren’t many very large industrial locos.

 

[nw1]

I had a look at this map published in 1972:

View map: Ordnance Survey, Sheet 163 - Barnstaple - C Edition - Ordnance Survey of Great Britain. One-inch to the mile, Seventh... - Ordnance Survey One-inch, Great Britain, Seventh Series, 1952-1961

The first observation is that there were two power lines running out of East Yelland PS (power station). One heads South West down to and past Bodmin, the second takes a convoluted route inland South, West, and turns North again and stops at Barnstaple.

If the first power line (towards Bodmin) does not connect to another power line (the National Grid) then I could image Barnstaple would be at risk of power cuts should something happen at the East Yelland PS.

Nowadays there appears to be a National Grid line which heads west from the Taunton/Wellington area and connects to this more southerly power line, which is still in place despite the non-existence of the power station (presumably to serve Barnstaple). This is probably the same line that heads past Camelford / Wadebridge. Not sure when the National Grid line was built, I was of the impression most of the 400kv Grid was built in the 60s (one piece of evidence is that a major Grid line is visible in the background on footage of the first Glastonbury in 1970) but maybe this was a newer line.

 

[stuving]

Nowadays there appears to be a National Grid line which heads west from the Taunton/Wellington area and connects to this more southerly power line, which is still in place despite the non-existence of the power station (presumably to serve Barnstaple). This is probably the same line that heads past Camelford / Wadebridge. Not sure when the National Grid line was built, I was of the impression most of the 400kv Grid was built in the 60s (one piece of evidence is that a major Grid line is visible in the background on footage of the first Glastonbury in 1970) but maybe this was a newer line.

There is now a 400 kV national grid substation at Alverdiscott (7 km south of East Yelland), effectively a grid supply point (whatever it's called officially). That is on a 400 kV line from Taunton to Indian Queens. From there, a 132 kV line runs to East Yelland which is now a bulk supply point, and another onward to Barnstable bulk supply point. That 132 kV part is operated by Western Power Distribution, the DNO, but presumably the lines were built for the power station at East Yelland.

While I called the DNO WPD, for clarity, it now calls itself National Grid. That is, to say the least, confusing and rather silly. You do wonder why Ofgem or the government were so stupid as to allow the name "National Grid" to be given to the company set up to own it. Far better to have insisted that the corporate entity had some other name and the term "national grid" could be used just for the infrastructure. Now it means different things with or without capitals.

 

[leezer3]

Thanks....I'm glad to hear that my memory hasn't totally gone! Presumably there was once a Plymouth 'A' station as well nearby. Come to think of it, there were also small power stations at Exeter and Newton Abbot as well. Surely they must have been further West than Hinkley Point?

Yep, within half a mile or so, 39mwh

Closed 18th March 1974 (same date as Newton Abbot- 35mwh there though)
Exeter closed 1955 basically when the National Grid came into being. No mwh figure I can see, so it would have been pretty smallish.

 

[randyrippley]

FWIW I can remember a massive transformer at Teignmouth summer 1972 parked up overnight attached to three of Wynn's heavy haulage tractors and a carrying frame. We assumed it had been brought in by sea.
Obviously heading to a power station somewhere...........but where?

 

[stuving]

FWIW I can remember a massive transformer at Teignmouth summer 1972 parked up overnight attached to three of Wynn's heavy haulage tractors and a carrying frame. We assumed it had been brought in by sea.
Obviously heading to a power station somewhere...........but where?

Well, it wasn't for Alverdiscott,which wasn't built until 1982. Still less was it for Indian Queens, where a big transformer was brought in in 1971 via Penzance; that would not have got near Teignmouth. But then Teignmouth isn't really on the way to either of South Devon's grid substations (Exeter and Langage) from a suitable port, is it? If it was the next size down, there are 132/33 kV transformers at the Newton Abbot BSP ...

 

[D6130]

But then Teignmouth isn't really on the way to either of South Devon's grid substations (Exeter and Langage) from a suitable port, is it?

Perhaps it had actually been off-loaded from a ship at Teignmouth?

 

[Gloster]

FWIW I can remember a massive transformer at Teignmouth summer 1972 parked up overnight attached to three of Wynn's heavy haulage tractors and a carrying frame. We assumed it had been brought in by sea.
Obviously heading to a power station somewhere...........but where?

Well, you wouldn’t use a small port in somewhere like Devon unless the transformer was going to somewhere local. Perhaps it was going to Newton Abbot Power Station as a temporary measure or permanently, but the CEGB then changed policy and didn’t need it. Or perhaps it was part of the strategic reserve of transformers hidden in a cave on Dartmoor ready to be resurrected in time of need (like the steam locos).

 

[RUFJAN15]

FWIW I can remember a massive transformer at Teignmouth summer 1972 parked up overnight attached to three of Wynn's heavy haulage tractors and a carrying frame. We assumed it had been brought in by sea.
Obviously heading to a power station somewhere...........but where?

I would suggest that the destination was Abham 400/132 kV substation (near Buckfastleigh). This has two large supergrid transformers and was built around 1972.

 

[randyrippley]

I would suggest that the destination was Abham 400/132 kV substation (near Buckfastleigh). This has two large supergrid transformers and was built around 1972.

That sounds very likely when you look at the maps and consider the state of the road network back then. By far the easiest route compared with hauling it from the docks at Exeter or Brixham - no need to go through the town. Fairly straight road to the A38

Perhaps it had actually been off-loaded from a ship at Teignmouth?

Almost certainly so, it's what we assumed but I don't remember which - if any - ship was there at the time.
Presumably it would have to be fairly small to access the quay there.

 

[D Williams]

Thanks....I'm glad to hear that my memory hasn't totally gone! Presumably there was once a Plymouth 'A' station as well nearby. Come to think of it, there were also small power stations at Exeter and Newton Abbot as well. Surely they must have been further West than Hinkley Point?

Not to forget Mary Tavy, which is still operating.

 

[stuving]

I would suggest that the destination was Abham 400/132 kV substation (near Buckfastleigh). This has two large supergrid transformers and was built around 1972.

Yes, there is another grid supply point at Abham (like Alverdiscott). It didn't attract much press attention, and as Abham is barely a place it also got called Bumpston (which isn't any bigger). All I found was in 1993 when some trepid criminals nicked a ton or earthing straps from the (live) substation. And one transformer that went by road from Abham to Wiltshire in 1989 did get noticed, if only by the traffic following it up the A38 very, very, very slowly.

I'm still a bit surprised it was worth shipping. I would have though the issue with a really big load was getting to/from any sizeable road, not how long that road was. And weren't all the transformers bought by the CEGB in the 60s or 70s was made in England, so didn't have to be on a ship for importation anyway? Teignmouth looks ill-quipped for a really big lift, but I guess if a ship's derricks can't cope you could (even then) hire in a big crane.

 

[randyrippley]

Remember this was before the M5 was built west of Bristol so any road haulage would have been down the A38, through Bristol and Exeter in the summer holiday season. Sea shipment would have been far easier

 

[leezer3]

Not to forget Mary Tavy, which is still operating.

If you want to start on small-scale hydro plants as opposed to the classic coal burners, there's also one at Morewelham
Mary Tavy is 2.6mwh, Morewllham 640kwh

Probably more in Cornwall somewhere, but I'd have to think / look things up.....

 

[Andy873]

Just going back to power stations in general, the link at the end of this gives details of power generation around East Lancashire. Now, although East Lancs is not East Yelland it does provide in depth details about Padiham A and Padiham B power stations.

What surprised me was just how long a power station could be off line (not generating electricity) as you will see when reading this article.

You can of course read all of it, but for the Padiham power stations it starts around half way down with the title Padiham A.

PADIHAM POWER STATION. MIKE CLARKE'S INFORMATION - OneGuyFromBarlick

I wonder, given the large decrease in output as shown from 1979 onwards, if East Yelland had become a stand by station?

Also, wonder if the rail connection was used to take away large or heavy equipment during the de-commissioning of the power station?

 

[Geoff DC]

Maybe this refers to one of the transformer shipments

There’s been a 162-ton transformer sitting at the dockside in Penzance since Thursday. It’s been quite a talking point – this huge white mass of cylinders. One thing was certain – it wouldn’t be staying there for ever. Apparently it’s bound for Indian Queens, way up the A30, for an electricity sub-station.

https://www.penwithlocalhistorygroup.co.uk/on-this-day/?id=131

 

[RUFJAN15]

That sounds very likely when you look at the maps and consider the state of the road network back then. By far the easiest route compared with hauling it from the docks at Exeter or Brixham - no need to go through the town. Fairly straight road to the A38


Almost certainly so, it's what we assumed but I don't remember which - if any - ship was there at the time.
Presumably it would have to be fairly small to access the quay there.

The CEGB operated two roll-on roll-off heavy load vessels, the Aberthaw Fisher and the Kingsnorth Fisher, which were typically used for this type of shipment. To quote from https://www.rhoosehistory.org.uk/gallery_7_industry.html (which has a number of photos of the Aberthaw Fisher):

The Aberthaw Fisher, named after Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan, was one of a pair of very specialised RO-RO (roll on – roll off) heavy transport ships, the other being Kingsnorth Fisher, built for The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). James Fisher & Co Ltd of Barrow-in-Furness were employed to operate and manage the vessel. The company specialises in the road transport of very heavy plant and equipment. The ship was launched on Friday 18th of February 1966 at Ailsa shipbuilders in Troon, with Kingsnorth Fisher being built by Hall Russell and Company at Aberdeen.

These ships were specially built to transport large roadborne loads, such as generators, turbines and transformers to the fleet of new power stations being built by the CEGB around the British coast at that time. They were designed to be very stable and could operate in shallow water. They were initially based in Pamona docks at Manchester, the centre of the British heavy electrical engineering industry, and may have been the last vessels to use this part of Manchester’s inland port. The builders of the current Aberthaw B power station utilised the vessel during construction.

As the UK road network at the time could not accommodate these large loads, they were transported over a short distance from the equipment builders to the docks by heavy haulage road trailers which were rolled aboard via a purpose designed rear loading ramp equipped with winches to haul trailers on. The ramp was then lowered down into the ship for the sea voyage. The coastal power stations had specially constructed loading berths to accommodate the ships, some since demolished.

First named Aberthaw Fisher she started out her life working under lease to the CEGB. With the privatisation of the CEGB, in 1990 she was renamed ‘National Generation’ after change of ownership to National power PLC. In 1992 James Fisher & Co Ltd took ownership of the vessel and continued her use as a Ro-Ro sea transporter. In 1996 the ship was sold to Benguela Concessions in Capetown South Africa where she was converted into a diamond mining vessel. She was subsequently renamed Moonstar and remained in the area until finally being sent for scrap at Alang in India. Her final date being given as 21/10/2000.


I cannot be certain, but I am fairly sure the transformer would have been delivered to Teignmouth by one of the 'Fishers'.

 

[Gloster]

It looks like Kingsnorth Fisher had a similar history. It was renamed New Generation in 1990 and sold to Alang in 2001, being renamed New Gen.

 

[RUFJAN15]

Yes, there is another grid supply point at Abham (like Alverdiscott). It didn't attract much press attention, and as Abham is barely a place it also got called Bumpston (which isn't any bigger). All I found was in 1993 when some trepid criminals nicked a ton or earthing straps from the (live) substation. And one transformer that went by road from Abham to Wiltshire in 1989 did get noticed, if only by the traffic following it up the A38 very, very, very slowly.

I'm still a bit surprised it was worth shipping. I would have though the issue with a really big load was getting to/from any sizeable road, not how long that road was. And weren't all the transformers bought by the CEGB in the 60s or 70s was made in England, so didn't have to be on a ship for importation anyway? Teignmouth looks ill-quipped for a really big lift, but I guess if a ship's derricks can't cope you could (even then) hire in a big crane.

Shipping transformers long distances by road is still frowned upon. The Department of Transport partly funded construction of the Terra Marique, a direct descendent of the 'Fishers' with Ro-Ro capability, which is still used to move large loads around the UK. See https://robertwynnandsons.co.uk/our-fleet/terra-marique/. I believe that an abnormal load movement will only be approved if it can be demonstrated that the maximum use has been made of water transport. If you search the internet then you'll see examples of the Terra Marique making deliveries to some very odd place!

There is a BTF film 'Measured for Transport' (

) that shows a transformer for Ffestiniog power station being delivered by rail to Blaneau Ffestiniog. it's hard to believe that this would not have been easier by road!

 

[nw1]

On the subject of grids (rather tangentially related to the thread, I know) there's an example near me which I've always found puzzling.

There is a 132kv line from Marchwood power station (the current one opened in 2010, the old one closed in 1983 though the building, including chimneys, was still present into the 90s) to Alton with branches to Winchester and Elmers Marsh, West Sussex.

This passes very, very close to the large Nursling National Grid substation (a few miles north of Marchwood) but doesn't actually link to it.

The current Marchwood station is linked to the National Grid but the old one wasn't, though there was a line from Nursling to it.

So any electricity from the National Grid for this line would presumably have been routed from Nursling to Marchwood and then back north again.

Not sure if anyone with knowledge of the area knows why this didn't serve Nursling directly?

Similarly there is another 132kv line from Marchwood to Andover, which also does not connect to Nursling.

 

[6Gman]

There is a BTF film 'Measured for Transport' that shows a transformer for Ffestiniog power station being delivered by rail to Blaneau Ffestiniog. it's hard to believe that this would not have been easier by road!

Given the condition of the roads in that part of Wales at that time I think rail was the only practical approach.

 

[stuving]

On the subject of grids (rather tangentially related to the thread, I know) there's an example near me which I've always found puzzling.
...

Marchwood power station is in fact directly connected to the grid at 400 kV (via its own grid substation). From there two circuits run north-west to a junction pylon near Trotts Lane, where one goes north to Nursling and the other south to Fawley. There is another circuit running direct on the other side of the pylons. Marchwood appears to be a generator connection site alone, and is not a grid supply point.

There is a big 132 kV substation close to the power station, though of course this is all inside the Industrial Park where it's hard to see what's what. This is apparently one of SSEN's bulk supply points, linked at 132 kV to their other sites either way en route between Nursling and Fawley grid supply points. Oddly, SSEN don't offer it for connections or show it on their network maps, so I'm not sure what its status is.

There is a 132 kV line to Fawley that runs south beside the 400 kV line out of Nursling, though briefly underground I think. Another, sets off west and soon after has a junction with a north/south line that joins another line from Marchwood to Andover (another BSP).

Returning to East Yelland, in 2008 NG were doing forward planning for where to connect offshore generation all round the coast. Off North Devon, it needs to go into the system at Indian Queens or Alverdiscott (or a new substation in between). One option was a new connection substation at East Yelland, and a new line (presumably 400 kV) to Alverdiscott.

Those would be beside the existing substation and pylon line, because they carry a lot of extra power which must follow route designed for it. So it's not unusual for this kind of apparent duplication to be needed.

 

[BayPaul]

The local council were told in 1949 that the jetty was designed for "ships up to 750 tons capacity". I'm not sure what "capacity" means there - measuring ships' size is a weird business - but I guess it's the coal carried. Either way, it's not very big so I guess they would not go very far.

In this case it would be 750 tonnes deadweight - that is indeed the number of tonnes weight the ship could carry, or the difference between its light and loaded displacement (the weight of water displaced to float the ship).

Gross tonnage is the other regularly quoted figure which is the weirder one - it is a measure of volume, approximately 100 cubic feet.