# Really neat old industrial meter



## cl2sparky (Jan 3, 2017)

MTW said:


> I scored this from an old textile mill that is in the process of being prepared for a new tenant. The original electric room had been stripped of all copper long ago but this remained. I thought it was pretty neat. 600 volt ungrounded delta service which was common in these old mills here. Only a few remain that I'm aware of now. This meter was sitting on an old CT cabinet.


Nice find!!

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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Another cool thing about 600 volt buildings like this - I saw a big old air compressor that remained which must have had a 10+ or more horsepower motor on it. The tank was there and so was the motor starter but the scrappers took the motor. Anyway, it was wired with #14. :laughing:

Edit to add: A 15 amp 3-phase circuit at 600 volts is 15.5 KW. :laughing:


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

MTW said:


> Another cool thing about 600 volt buildings like this - I saw a big old air compressor that remained which must have had a 10+ or more horsepower motor on it. The tank was there and so was the motor starter but the scrappers took the motor. Anyway, it was wired with #14. :laughing:
> 
> Edit to add: A 15 amp 3-phase circuit at 600 volts is 15.5 KW. :laughing:


That's what I don't like about 230-200 volt systems, pulling #8 to 10HP motors.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I demand that the entire forum praise how awesome this meter is!!


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

MTW said:


> Another cool thing about 600 volt buildings like this - I saw a big old air compressor that remained which must have had a 10+ or more horsepower motor on it. The tank was there and so was the motor starter but the scrappers took the motor. Anyway, it was wired with #14. :laughing:
> 
> Edit to add: A 15 amp 3-phase circuit at 600 volts is 15.5 KW. :laughing:


600V is common up here, nice for situations like the one you describe.

Cool old meter, I like seeing the old stuff. Seems to have more character than what's made now, more of a reflection of the maker's creativity.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

MTW said:


> I demand that the entire forum praise how awesome this meter is!!


I will praise the awesomeness of said meter, IF the job was un-permitted and done un-licensed also.:wink:


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

MTW said:


> I demand that the entire forum praise how awesome this meter is!!


Send it to me so I can get a good look at it first.

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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

460 Delta said:


> I will praise the awesomeness of said meter, IF the job was un-permitted and done un-licensed also.:wink:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Forge Boyz said:


> Send it to me so I can get a good look at it first.


I'll get right on that. :laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

stuiec said:


> 600V is common up here, nice for situations like the one you describe.
> 
> Cool old meter, I like seeing the old stuff. Seems to have more character than what's made now, more of a reflection of the maker's creativity.


Ahh, but this is 600 volts ungrounded delta. Totally different animal than the one you're used to. That being said, it still has all the same benefits as far as voltage drop and conductor sizing.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

MTW said:


> Ahh, but this is 600 volts ungrounded delta. Totally different animal than the one you're used to. That being said, it still has all the same benefits as far as voltage drop and conductor sizing.


Underground overhead. No difference. 
600 ungrounded delta was quite common but the utilities have been slowly upgrading to Y. It meant installing a neutral in the services.
No more need for ground indicating lights.

Nice score btw


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Nice! About $200 bucks on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/i/232538688392?chn=ps


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

stuiec said:


> Cool old meter, I like seeing the old stuff. *Seems to have more character than what's made now, more of a reflection of the maker's creativity.*


I get that same sense, something I like about a lot of old equipment, you wouldn't call it decorative but there was definitely some thought to the appearance in the design.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

But it can be decorative.

Make it into a lamp.

http://www.classicmeters.com/products.html


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

...or a necktie...


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

MTW said:


> Ahh, but this is 600 volts ungrounded delta. Totally different animal than the one you're used to. That being said, it still has all the same benefits as far as voltage drop and conductor sizing.


Actually very common up here. New installations not so much but up until the 90’s most stuff here was all ungrounded delta 600, even residential high rises. 

Cool meter.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

That's the problem with old-fashioned American manufactures.

They only hold up for a couple of centuries.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

LARMGUY said:


> But it can be decorative.
> 
> Make it into a lamp.
> 
> http://www.classicmeters.com/products.html


I really like that and I'm not really big on 'trade' decorations..


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## Mr. Lacarno (Jan 2, 2019)

I started in the electrical field as maintenance at a textile plant that had 600 volt ungrounded delta service. Lots of 575 volt motors. It had been there almost 100 years when I got there. It even had original 2 phase motors. They were powered from Scott-T transformers since the building got 3 phase in the 30s. But that place had every kind of utilization voltage ever used in North American and a few from Europe and China. All transformed from the main. There was 600 delta, 600Y/347, 480Y/277, 480 delta, 480/240 high leg delta, 480/240 single phase, corner grounded 480, 415Y/230, 380Y/220, 240 delta, corner grounded 240, 240/120 high leg, 240/120 single phase, and 208Y/120. And of course 220 volt 2-phase 4-wire. I learned so much there.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Mr. Lacarno said:


> I started in the electrical field as maintenance at a textile plant that had 600 volt ungrounded delta service. Lots of 575 volt motors. It had been there almost 100 years when I got there. It even had original 2 phase motors. They were powered from Scott-T transformers since the building got 3 phase in the 30s. But that place had every kind of utilization voltage ever used in North American and a few from Europe and China. All transformed from the main. There was 600 delta, 600Y/347, 480Y/277, 480 delta, 480/240 high leg delta, 480/240 single phase, corner grounded 480, 415Y/230, 380Y/220, 240 delta, corner grounded 240, 240/120 high leg, 240/120 single phase, and 208Y/120. And of course 220 volt 2-phase 4-wire. I learned so much there.


I assume you had every surplus dealer in the area on speed dial to find transformers for that place. :laughing: Any clue why it was such a hodge podge?


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## Mr. Lacarno (Jan 2, 2019)

MTW said:


> I assume you had every surplus dealer in the area on speed dial to find transformers for that place. :laughing: Any clue why it was such a hodge podge?


They kept expanding but never upgrading. All the old stuff stayed in service as new stuff was added. We just kept putting in whatever voltage some new piece of equipment needed. As for transformers, it's interesting that the only failures were newer ones. Maybe two that I recall. All the ancient ones just chugged along.

I was that way a couple years ago. The building is still there... But it is now loft apartments


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Mr. Lacarno said:


> They kept expanding but never upgrading. All the old stuff stayed in service as new stuff was added. We just kept putting in whatever voltage some new piece of equipment needed. As for transformers, it's interesting that the only failures were newer ones. Maybe two that I recall. All the ancient ones just chugged along.


The very few mills that remain in their original state here are like that. True electrical museums. 



> I was that way a couple years ago. The building is still there... But it is now loft apartments


Same here, every mill that didn't burn down or fall down has been converted into apartments or professional space.


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