Parker Steam Engines

[Richard Flanders]

"Between the wars" would be correct for these. They would have been in place prior to 1934 when the hydro was put in place. After that, they ran 2 dredges at the same time on the hydro system, which was run at 800kW with a 1.1mW capability. I'll put in a shot of the generator in the hydro power house, which was used until late in 1989 I think. Pics show the genset, flywheel, and the Pelton wheel housing. The Pelton is fed through a 5ft? diameter wooden pipe with 70ft of fall. Pipe made of incredible clear fir I think, or cedar. I'll add a pic of that and the penstock

[edgarspencer]

Love that old Woodward governor. (Seems we got off Parker steam engines)
70' head isn't much for a Pelton. That's more appropriate for Francis wheels.
I was supposed to go restart a Pelton unit on the N end of Kodiak at the fish cannery, but the guy who bought the place got sidetracked when the oil well blew up in the gulf, spill clean-up or something.
We cast a new Pelton wheel for Newport News Industrial several years ago to replace one taken out by rubble that came down the penstock after an earthquake. As I recall that one had a head height of over 600'.
You would have loved to visit the pump-hydro station out here that contracted me for 64 new wicket gates (32 per, 2 Mitsubishi turbines) The wicket gates were just shy of 7' high, not counting top and bottom shaft, CA6NM stainless, a hair over 3000 pound each. Turbine was horizontal, wheel was nearly 30 diameter. 400MW each. Twin ball valves with 10' bore. Best part was it was all inside a mountain,and radio controlled from 75 miles away.