In article ,
Johnny B Good writes:
On Fri, 16 Mar 2018 22:55:15 +0000, Andrew Gabriel wrote:
I can still recall my parents' first washing machine, which predated any
sort of electronic motor control. I'm not sure what the motor was, but
it was single speed, single direction. It had a sodding great gearbox
attached with a handful of large solenoids around it to do the gear
changes. I can still clearly recall the loud bangs as the different
solenoids engaged to change the drum speed throughout the program. When
it was scrapped, I saved the mains solenoids and some other parts, which
got used in a few projects afterwards. They did tend to overheat, as the
washing machine was for 200V mains, and had been converted to 240V when
the mains voltage changed by fitting a large autotransformer inside the
case, which I hadn't kept because it was too heavy.

I can imagine the need for a 10A rated 240v supply which would require a
400VA auto transformer in this case (40v difference at 10A) which could
easily weigh some 16 to 20 Lbs. Just as you described, not a lightweight
item. :-)

I can understand why you didn't hang onto it since any future need to
adapt a 200v appliance to 240v mains would be extremely improbable. The
only potential use would be in a museum of domestic electrical
appliances. Did you ever consider donating it to any such museums?

It was probably 20 years old, and not noteworthy at the time.

If it was still around now, I would either find a museum, or
keep it going!

Although I vivdly recall the sounds it made, it kind of seems
a shame there's probably no video or even audio history of such
devices running remaining today.

I did record an older device which I still have working,
a Hoover Constellation vacuum cleaner, playing with it as a
frictionless puck much as I did as a child in my parents'
house, although they had flatter floors than this one was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXb8Fo3T5h0

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]