POWER EXTENSIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1939, Page 9

POWER EXTENSIONS

RECONSTRUCTION AND OTHER WORK. MEETING OF 'WAIRARAPA BOARD. (“Times-Age” Special.) The new 11,000 volt line along Solway Road to supply the State Housing Block had been completed and was placed in service on June 28, reported the engineer of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, Mr H. B. Keenan, at today’s meeting. All the load had been changed over to this line and it had re lieved the main Masterton feeder of approximately 150 k.v.a. or 10 per cent load. The new 200 k.v.a. sub-station in Cornwall Street which .supplied the new housing block was completed and placed in service on June 30. A start had been made with the reconstruction of the lines in Cornwall and Wright streets to meet additional loading and relieve the loading on the existing transformers. The survey had been completed and plans prepared for the 11,000 volt extension to Matahiwi. A start had been made with the erection, but progress was slow owing to bad weather and the necessity to utilise part of the construction gangs on other urgent work. Arrangements had been made to concentrate a fail’ sized gang on this line. There were two interrup lions of three minutes each on the feeder supply Masterton at 4.17 p.m. and 11.9 a.m. on July 12 and 13. The interruptions were caused by overload on the feeders. The relays were im ■ mediately adjusted and service again normally resumed. Some trouble was experienced with one of the 3000 volt fuse boxes on the 100 k.v.a. transform ■ er supplying Perry. ' Hall and Chapdl street areas. On June 12 and 13 thi; cut out operated and on the last occa • sion it blew to pieces, necessitating a shut down from about 3.10 p.m. till 4 p.m. on June 13 to make replace ments. The cause of this was due to lightning on June 11 fracturing the fuse support and then rain came on June 13. causing current to flow to earth. This, together with the heavy load current at peak load, caused the overloading of the fractured fuse box.

The maintenance gang in the centra, area had been concentrating on the dairying districts and approximately 40 per cent of the work had been com pleted. Very good progress was being made. Ten transformers had been over hauled, nineteen poles replaced in different parts of the district and two 11,000 volt automatic line switches had been recalibrated and overhauled. Most of the maintenance work in Parkvale, Kokotau and Dalefield had been com pleted. Advice had been received from the Carterton Borough Council to pro ceecl with the erection of the Mercury vapour street lighting in the business section of High Street. This was being attended to. Preliminary surveys had been made and estimates prepared for the new 11,000 volt line from Matarawa to Wood and Kuratawhiti streets Greytown. Very good progress had been made with the overhaul and re construction of the reticulation in the Featherston Borough. Approximate!.' 30 per cent had been completed and i' was hoped by the end of July that this job would be finished. Revenue returns for June again dis closed a satisfactory position having exceeded both the returns for June last year and the estimate, stated the secretary-manager. Mr G. Brown. Th, position was as follows: —Net revenue lune. 19.33. £4 701: estimate for June 1939. .£5001: actual revenue. June, 1939 £5.437; gain on 1933. £730; gain or. estimate, £436. For the first three months of the year, the position is a: follows:—Net revenue. April/June 1933. £14,030: estimate. April Juno 1939. £14.936; actual. April'June. 1939 £15.500: gain on 1933, £1,464; gain on estimate. £564.