SWITCHBOARD INSTRUCTIONS

1911

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These instruction from February of 1911, reveal a great deal about the technology on site. They are one of the priceless exhibits on display, alongside other innovative firsts that took place in this largely overlooked Sussex backwater. Whereas the Convention is clear about the duty of all parties, once a find is discovered and reported. As per Articles 3, 4 and 5.

HERSTMONCEUX ELECTRICITY WORKS

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TELEPHONE No 3. HERSTMONCEUX (EASTBOURNE)

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                                                                                                                                                February 27th 1911 

-- INSTRUCTIONS FOR SWITCHBOARD ATTENDANT --

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His chief duty will be to attend to the Switch Board and keep the 

Village voltage correct.
2 Take readings every half hour.
3 Keep the Dynamo between 90 & 100 amperes, except when both the regulat-

ing switches are on the same bar.
4 Attend to coal and water at gas plant, and draw attention of
Engineer-in-charge if tanks are empty or nearly empty.
6 While cells are on charge, he will cut out cells as they reach 2.75
the current must then be lowered at the dynamo before cutting out the 

next cell, if this is not done the next cell will have a false voltage.
7 When Ice Plant is running, he will carry out the special Instruct-
ions for same.
8 He must on no account leave the Engine Rooms unless he arranges for

some one to take his place while he is away.
9 He will at once call the attention of the Engineer-in-charge to 

anything wrong or of abnormal occurrence.
10 He will be responsible that no-one enters the Engine Rooms without
a special pass, with the exception of the Staff and workmen actually employed therein.
11 He will answer telephones and bells.
Regulation of voltage.----. During the day time the voltage will be
kept between 50 & 52. After the lights begine to go on the Village voltage is to be advanced gradually one volt to every 10 amperes until the voltage has reached 56 volts, at which voltage It is to be main-tained for the remainder of the evening.
Regulation of Dynamo.----. The normal charging rate of the accumulators is between 90 & 100 amperes, therefore unless the regulating switches are on the same bar, the current should not exceed 100 amperes. If the switches are on the same bar, the difference between charge & discharge must not exceed 100 amperes. It is useless to try to get more out of the Dynamo if the engine is not cutting out.
The Regulating switches must only be moved by the handles.
GREAT ATTENTION is to be paid to keeping the Village Voltage and Dynamo current correct.

A hive of local activity, in the Sussex backwater of Herstmonceux. The driver from all of this was electric lighting, to replace candles and gas lighting.

The machinery at Herstmonceux Generating Works was gas powered in its final guise. The gas coming from heating coal. Hence, the sizeable brick built bunker, convenient to shed number three, where the (town) gas maker plant was installed. The complex is interesting because it not only generated electricity, but stored it in Shed number One, a room filled with large glass lead-acid batteries, with sufficient capacity to provide electric lighting and cooking to the village, in 1913.

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