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Joblow
Regular Member

Joined: 05/01/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 54

Posted: 11:52am 16 Mar 2010

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While reading the latest issue of a motor cycle paper (Old Bike Mart UK)I came across the folowing:
In the late 40s and early 50s, Castle Garage on the Liscard road was a BSA dealership, there was no electicity supply so petrol was pumped by hand, to illuminate the pumps the owner had two windmills driving a pair of car dynamos charging a battery. Some time later a customer noticed that one of the winmills had been taken down and when he enquired of the reason the owner told him there was not enough wind in the valley to run both of them.

The man who never made a mistake never made anything

GWatPE

Senior Member

Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127

Posted: 12:39pm 16 Mar 2010

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My parents had a private power station in the 50's. They had Dunlites, and Freelites and Southern Cross [SC] Gensets charging a 32V battery bank. Power was distributed to the town for electric lighting. On windy days, ironing was allowed. The SC gensets were diesel oil fuelled. Thick stuff. There was a power board with many knife switches to isolate; the various houses with the loads. There was crude metering of each service, as it was not for free.

The fuel pumps were manually operated, and you would pump a measured amount into a glass vessel by hand, and then gravity would dispense the fuel to the vehicle. I think it was a 5gal max. People did not travel long distances, and fuel was quite expensive. Remember Golden Fleece and British Petroleum fuel.

All came to a stop, when electricity was transmitted from Adelaide. I believe the SC gensets are still in operation on a station in the mid north of SA.

Just some more windmill & RE related trivia. It was windy a lot, so there was no need to turn the windmills OFF. LOL.

Gordon.

become more energy aware

Sonny

Regular Member

Joined: 17/01/2010
Location: United States
Posts: 66

Posted: 03:18pm 16 Mar 2010

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keep the stories coming guys.
These bring back many good memories.

a complete novice

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 04:40pm 16 Mar 2010

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The old 5 gallon glass vessel fuel pumps are worth a fortune now if you can get your paws on one.

I know of one still in use in the far outback of NW Queensland that the tourests love,(they all take photos pumping the fuel up) but weight and measures wont let him use it, as it is not calibrated in metric....But they are not around out there very much.

I was just glade it was on the petrol pump as at the time i was driving road trains through there and to fill 4 x 400 litre tanks would need a lot of pumping 5 gallons into the glass vessel...half day job.

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

neil0mac
Senior Member

Joined: 26/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 210

Posted: 11:59pm 16 Mar 2010

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GWatPE said My parents had a private power station in the 50's. They had Dunlites, and Freelites and Southern Cross [SC] Gensets charging a 32V battery bank.

Gordon, those 'Freelites'. Were they made by Hannan Bros.? IF so, the fellow (in a post of mine) who recently acquired a Dunlite 750W generator is a grandson of one of the Hannans and would dearly love to get his hands on one of their generators.

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