Dalby Powerhouse
DALBY : A BRIEF ELECTRICAL HISTORY
DR. JAN KING
Dalby Town Council inaugurated the electricity supply in February 1921. It was one the first Councils in Queensland to take responsibility for the electricity supply. By 1937 the population in the area supplied by Dalby Town Council was 3,300. The number of consumers stood at 716 with the average revenue from each customer amounting to eight pounds, sixteen shillings and three pence.
The Power House plant of the late 1930s consisted of three heavy oil engines and three suction gas engines.
Dalby Powerhouse Plant 1939-1940
Plant:
1 x 220 hp Blackstone heavy-oil engine, direct coupled to a 135 kW Crompton-Parkinson generator.
1 x 112 hp Ruston heavy-oil engine driving a 100 kW E.C.C. alternator.
1 x 66 hp Ruston heavy-oil engine, driving a 30 kW dc generator.
1 x 80 hp Kynoch suction gas engine, direct coupled to a 50 kW E.C.C. generator.
1 x 350 hp National suction gas engine, driving 150 kW E.C.C. generator and a 120 kW E.C.C. alternator.
1 x 200 hp National suction gas engine, driving a 100 kW alternator and a 65 kW Brush generator.
In 1965 there remained two six-cylinder gas/oil engines in the Power House and two gas engines that were deemed as ‘scrap’. It was reported that the Queensland State Electricity Commission was contemplating using two of the other engines in existing Queensland power houses within the following financial year.
However, the 1968 report did not show any progress with the expected deal. As an alternative, the Council hoped to obtain approval from the Commission to scrap all sets in the Power House ‘so that other use might be made of the space available’.
There appeared to be a further delay in removing the old engines. Some parts off one of the large engines were sold to the Central Western Regional Electricity Board in 1969. Eventually, in 1970, the contents of the Power House building were sold as scrap and, in addition to storage for transformers, some of the newly-available space was allocated to be used as a workshop until the Council decided on the future of the building.
DR. JAN KING
Dalby Town Council inaugurated the electricity supply in February 1921. It was one the first Councils in Queensland to take responsibility for the electricity supply. By 1937 the population in the area supplied by Dalby Town Council was 3,300. The number of consumers stood at 716 with the average revenue from each customer amounting to eight pounds, sixteen shillings and three pence.
The Power House plant of the late 1930s consisted of three heavy oil engines and three suction gas engines.
Dalby Powerhouse Plant 1939-1940
Plant:
1 x 220 hp Blackstone heavy-oil engine, direct coupled to a 135 kW Crompton-Parkinson generator.
1 x 112 hp Ruston heavy-oil engine driving a 100 kW E.C.C. alternator.
1 x 66 hp Ruston heavy-oil engine, driving a 30 kW dc generator.
1 x 80 hp Kynoch suction gas engine, direct coupled to a 50 kW E.C.C. generator.
1 x 350 hp National suction gas engine, driving 150 kW E.C.C. generator and a 120 kW E.C.C. alternator.
1 x 200 hp National suction gas engine, driving a 100 kW alternator and a 65 kW Brush generator.
In 1965 there remained two six-cylinder gas/oil engines in the Power House and two gas engines that were deemed as ‘scrap’. It was reported that the Queensland State Electricity Commission was contemplating using two of the other engines in existing Queensland power houses within the following financial year.
However, the 1968 report did not show any progress with the expected deal. As an alternative, the Council hoped to obtain approval from the Commission to scrap all sets in the Power House ‘so that other use might be made of the space available’.
There appeared to be a further delay in removing the old engines. Some parts off one of the large engines were sold to the Central Western Regional Electricity Board in 1969. Eventually, in 1970, the contents of the Power House building were sold as scrap and, in addition to storage for transformers, some of the newly-available space was allocated to be used as a workshop until the Council decided on the future of the building.
