My memory isn't perfect since it was about 20 years ago, but in my grandparents' house it was done like this:

New CB panel (w/new service wiring) installed next to existing fusebox. Fusebox and CB panel connected together with 1 or
more large (2"?) pieces of EMT.

The guts (fuses, sockets, etc. but not wires) of the fusebox were removed, effectively turning it into a junction box. Short
wires were run from the CB panel thru the EMT into the ex-fusebox and spliced to the existing wiring going to the rest of the
house.

Eric Law


"RichK" wrote in message . ..
Hi All,

I'm sure it's been asked a million times and answered, but I'm not getting
any google hits on the specific point.

When replacing a fuse box with circuit breaker panel in a 50's house, how
does an electrician mange to transfer all the cables from one to the other.
They will not be long enough in most cases, even if the new box is put in
the exact space.

There's nothing wrong will the existing cables in the house, but they would
not be long enough to connect to anything else except the existing fuse box.

Can one install some sort of small terminal block box above existing fuse
box and use it as an interconnection box, then jumper all the cables to the
new CB panel?

Regards,

RichK