Hall of shame

Volks railway still is :-)

That was the earlier (1930s) Hornby, and others. The Hornby 0 gauge Metropolitan loco was issued as High Voltage then 6v, then the more usual 20v.

Bob's, in the 50s, was probably Hornby Dublo. Possibly Trix or even early Tri-ang.

Yes, I was just pointing out that it really was a supplier of radio and TV spares then, the catalogue was stapled, and about 8mm thick.

Don’t talk bollocks .

Many places once had DC supplies at various voltages in the early days of electric supply when power came from smaller local power stations.

The final pockets lasted until the 1970’s. One was part of Exeter around the City Basin area another was Reading which had some DC areas into the 1960’s.

GH

Indeed it is! Still fun to have a ride on it.

They had the power plant in the arches near Duke's Mound, and I think they still do.

It was definitely Tri-Ang. My father made a massive layout on a board, for a Christmas present for my brother and me. It was on rollers and the signals folded down so it fitted under our bunk beds.

the original Hornby electric used 100 volts anyway. I think they were only in production for a short period.

GH

In article snipped-for-privacy@jrenewsid.jretrading.com>, Joe snipped-for-privacy@jretrading.com scribeth thus

I remember a time when it was close to the thickness of the Beano!...

Maybe just about possible with the age.

DC supplies to home were common, as were different voltages, until standardisation on AC and the construction of the grid.

I've certainly seen one like that in a toy museum.

This is from Cambridge in 1891. Then we had Thompson's lane next the river( Very useful for the coal supplied by barge) come online at 200 volts AC!. I think one of the early gennies is in the science museum!..

In 1891 the firm produced the first electricity for lighting in the city with a gas engine and a dynamo installed in the basement. In those early days private electrical generating plants were supplied by the company to several of the Cambridge colleges. Until after the 1914-18 war such plants continued to be installed in country houses in outlying districts. As this business declined, the company moved into wireless, the design and making of temperature control equipment for laboratories and other specialised apparatus.

Where did the 100 Volts DC come from?

Did he play with it more than you did?

I remember vague warnings about getting an electric shock from the train set, which I thought were far-fetched at the time as the voltage was 12V DC (or I think 15V AC for points motors?).

However, when I used the transformer to electrolyse salt water then collected the chlorine in a jar then sniffed it, I did get a different type of shock to the system.

In the early 1960s it was still 200v ac.

The London science museum had a large dc supply provided by a three-phase mercury arc rectifier which was itself on display in a large glass cabinet.

John

When houses were supplied with DC, by unplugging the light bulb, plugging in the railway controller and plugging the light bulb into the top of the controller as a dropper resistor.

In article snipped-for-privacy@candehope.me.uk>, charles snipped-for-privacy@candehope.me.uk> scribeth thus

It was still 200 volts into the 1970's as i had to bridge out dropper resistors in TV's to make then work properly!. The Thompsons lane station had shut but there were local transformers supplying the 200 volts still..

Ah! we've had this argument before Charles, the Thompsons lane was AC but the 1891 Baily Grundy and Barrett was DC there was an article on that somewhere but sodded if i can find it now.

Seems that the Thompsons lane sets were supplied by none other than Charges Algernon Parsons he of the Turbina ship fame educated at St Johns here it appears!..