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George Bainbridge - Electrical Engineer in the mines. Part 1 of 2. Recorded 20 April 1982.
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Summary0:03
How the power got to Cessnock.
George was the Electrical Engineer at Aberdare Extended Colliery.
1:10
1904 George was born.
Aged 15, without an apprenticeship, he was sent to Cullen Bullen owned by the Caledonian Company.
2:38
The generators there were steam driven and were called Bellison Morcombe
In 1927 Cockle Creek started.
4:50
Walter Phee was the Powerhouse attendant at Aberdare extended. Bill Hannan was an electrical engineer. Scrapping of turbine. Power was converted by DC power generators down the pit. Talks about the duties of the job and location of generators. No.2 section – ¼ mile down. No.5 was at the end of the tunnel. Old Sullivan Coal Cutters were used.
Jock Murray - (John Scott Murray) was the electrical engineer
Alf Kirk (manager), Morrie Marshall
Josh Hetherington was the mechanical engineer.
10:10
Both Aberdare and Aberdare Extended supplied power to Cessnock. Aberdare’s turbines were bigger than those at Extended.
Erection of electrical power poles.
Jim Durie
Charlie Rumford
Billy Dart
12:00
Wally Stephenson – linesman, fell off a pole and broke his back
Dave Murdoch – in charge of the town lighting
George got shifted to Richmond Main although Aberdare Extended was his home base.
15:00
Jack Wilks
Breakdown of the electrical motors
The power house at Cockle Creek had 2 X 5,000 kw alternators and were replaced by 2,500 kw Swiss alternators. There was a flood at Cockle Creek so as fitters, they had to rewind the two motors. Rewinding the rotor of the turbine was his biggest job.
Joe Davidson
Cockle Creek turbine breakdowns
19:30
Murray and Cyril Fletcher were the engineers.
Waste disposal at Cockle Creek
George was the electrical fitter at Cullen Bullen during the years of the Lock Out.
Equipment at Richmond Main
Power supply to Weston
Power supplied by Caledonian mines
Dave Murdoch (town lighting)
Joe Davis
First shuttle cars, Aberdare Extended
Bill Clark
“Swinger” Hemmingway
Jim Pitkeathley
Recalls Aberdare Central fire
Joe McHarg
34:30
George talks about condensers, boiler, winding old AC cutters, roof bolting and power bores after World War 2. “Yorky” Hobson Install earth leakage at pit. He explained that AC relates to Alternators and DC to Generators and is power that can be stored.
First shuttle cars in pit
Safety procedures in pit
Electricity storage
47:40
End (Tape 14 Side A)
Duration: 47:40
Bainbridge, George, 1904-PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJames PitkeathlyDavid MurdochJoe McHargDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created20th April 1982Location[1] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSW[2] Cullen Bullen, NSW[3] Bellbird Colliery, NSW[4] Richmond Main Colliery, NSW
How the power got to Cessnock.
George was the Electrical Engineer at Aberdare Extended Colliery.
1:10
1904 George was born.
Aged 15, without an apprenticeship, he was sent to Cullen Bullen owned by the Caledonian Company.
2:38
The generators there were steam driven and were called Bellison Morcombe
In 1927 Cockle Creek started.
4:50
Walter Phee was the Powerhouse attendant at Aberdare extended. Bill Hannan was an electrical engineer. Scrapping of turbine. Power was converted by DC power generators down the pit. Talks about the duties of the job and location of generators. No.2 section – ¼ mile down. No.5 was at the end of the tunnel. Old Sullivan Coal Cutters were used.
Jock Murray - (John Scott Murray) was the electrical engineer
Alf Kirk (manager), Morrie Marshall
Josh Hetherington was the mechanical engineer.
10:10
Both Aberdare and Aberdare Extended supplied power to Cessnock. Aberdare’s turbines were bigger than those at Extended.
Erection of electrical power poles.
Jim Durie
Charlie Rumford
Billy Dart
12:00
Wally Stephenson – linesman, fell off a pole and broke his back
Dave Murdoch – in charge of the town lighting
George got shifted to Richmond Main although Aberdare Extended was his home base.
15:00
Jack Wilks
Breakdown of the electrical motors
The power house at Cockle Creek had 2 X 5,000 kw alternators and were replaced by 2,500 kw Swiss alternators. There was a flood at Cockle Creek so as fitters, they had to rewind the two motors. Rewinding the rotor of the turbine was his biggest job.
Joe Davidson
Cockle Creek turbine breakdowns
19:30
Murray and Cyril Fletcher were the engineers.
Waste disposal at Cockle Creek
George was the electrical fitter at Cullen Bullen during the years of the Lock Out.
Equipment at Richmond Main
Power supply to Weston
Power supplied by Caledonian mines
Dave Murdoch (town lighting)
Joe Davis
First shuttle cars, Aberdare Extended
Bill Clark
“Swinger” Hemmingway
Jim Pitkeathley
Recalls Aberdare Central fire
Joe McHarg
34:30
George talks about condensers, boiler, winding old AC cutters, roof bolting and power bores after World War 2. “Yorky” Hobson Install earth leakage at pit. He explained that AC relates to Alternators and DC to Generators and is power that can be stored.
First shuttle cars in pit
Safety procedures in pit
Electricity storage
47:40
End (Tape 14 Side A)
Duration: 47:40
Bainbridge, George, 1904-PersonJack DelaneyDepicts or Relates ToJames PitkeathlyDavid MurdochJoe McHargDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010Date Created20th April 1982Location[1] Aberdare Extended Colliery, NSW[2] Cullen Bullen, NSW[3] Bellbird Colliery, NSW[4] Richmond Main Colliery, NSWloading google map....
Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010, George Bainbridge - Electrical Engineer in the mines. Part 1 of 2. Recorded 20 April 1982., [014A]. Living Histories, accessed 07/12/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/65380