dpb writes:

That's been my experience in power plants, paper mills and coal
mines/prep plants as well.

There are some generating plants built in the early 50s w/ much of the
original electrical controls, switchgear, etc., ...

There's a hydroelectric powerhouse near hear that was built in 1912 and
remained in use until the late 1990's. Then a new powerhouse with more
efficient turbines came online, and the old powerhouse was turned into a
museum. All the original switchgear still seems to be there, though it
was adapted for remote monitoring and control at some point.

There are a few photos he
http://www.bchydro.com/recreation/ma...nland5361.html

It was built in a time when there was no power grid in the area, so it
was designed to be able to start "cold", with no outside source of
electricity. A bank of lead-acid batteries provided initial power,
probably for instruments and DC generator field. There are a pair of DC
generators, driven by tiny turbines, to provide DC armature power to the
main alternators. Output voltage control seems to have been done with
*large* carbon rheostats in the DC supply to each alternator.

The washrooms look like they are 1912 vintage, too...

Dave