On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 22:51:46 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 19:31:17 -0800 (PST), John G
wrote:

There is such a thing as a split buss panel. The upper part would have the multi-gang breakers and a main breaker for the lower part. The upper part is not required to have a main breaker because it has six circuits or less.
Might be the case some places, but would never pass here.

Used to have some "flat rate water heater" systems where the water
heater bypassed the meter, sometimes also with a remote switching
system that let the power company shut off the water heater under high
demand periods - and even it had to have a fused disconnect. (which
could be a "split buss" panel of sorts)

I would be surprised if you did not have split bus panels up there,
installed 50+ years ago. That is about when they started getting rare
here.
My neighbor ripped one out here not that long ago but it dated from
the 60s and that was old technology then.
They were fuse panels with 2, 4 or 6 cartridge fuse "pull outs"
supplying the 240v appliances and one of those served the lower buses
with a bunch of plug fuses (edison base).