Georgetown PowerPlant Museum

[Joel]

The annual picnic of the Georgetown PowerPlant Museum will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

The museum is located in the old Seattle Electric Company (later Puget Sound Power, Traction & Lighting) plant in South Seattle. The plant was built in 1906, added to in 1908 and 1919 with the last major revision made in the early 1930's.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-6/1193775/P1000187%20%28422%20x%20317%29.jpg

All are welcome. For more information (or just more information on the plant itself) just ask.

[Neil K]

Joel:

Thank you for the heads-up regarding the power plant museum. Having not heard about it before, I'll now have to put it on my list of things to see in the northwest corner of the country.

Neil

[Joel]

Thanks for responding, Neil.

The GPM is a US (Department of Interior) National Historic Landmark in addition to also being a State of Washington and City of Seattle historical landmark. Its existence is fairly well unknown outside of about 100 people despite these designations. It is, as far as we know, the last operating plant with the large-scale Curtis vertical steam turbo-generators. The last revenue power generated was in November of 1973 and the plant was decommissioned around 1978.

The number one unit (in the picture) was originally rated at 3,000 kilowatts but later rewound for 5,000 kW. It is approximately 35 feet from the station floor to the top of the governor housing. The woman in the picture is about 5'2" so that gives you some perspective as to the size of this (smaller) unit.

The number two unit is rated at 8,000 kilowatts and is about ten feet taller than the number one. The top of the barometric condenser on number two unit is about 50 feet above the floor.

The plant is mostly intact although Father Time has tried to have his way. We just got heat in the place a few years ago so deterioration has been slowed considerably.

[Ken Shattock]

Neil-
What "Joel" neglected to tell you was the fact that located on the exterior grounds of the Georgetown Museum is the trackage of the "Live Steam" faction of the "Puget Sound Garden Railway Society"...

Ken Shattock
IBLS Secretary

[Neil K]

Ohh...a double reason to check it out! Hopefully this fall we could do a loop of the WA/OR area. To do justice to the PNW would take a year long vacation...so much to see.

Neil

[Joel]

Right you are, Ken. I've been meaning to upload some pictures to the trains section so I'll do that.