Electric Building - Official Work Thread

[Jeff Schumaker]

I just noticed the extension cord through the window opening. Is it delivering electricity from the building or to the building?

Jeff S.

[Brendan Barry]

[Ed Lecuyer]

[Moderator's Note]
ANOTHER two pages of puns and other nonsense (squirrel-powered generators, really??) have been split off from this topic and placed into the Whimsical Weirdness and Foolery section.

Honestly, I am quite surprised (shocked, even) at how nice the building looks at that location. It really fits into the Sheepscot campus area nicely in style, form, and function. Good job to Brendan, Stewart, Josh, and the rest of the crew!

[Mike Fox]

The size made all the difference. Brendan was able to make it look like a Railroad related structure easily because of that. And the cedar shakes, antique door and window really make the building complete.

This building is over 2 years in the making.. We buried the first pipes in 2018, and dug out to put a load of gravel in shortly after. We wanted it to settle over the winter. Well, it settled over 2 winters..

[Bill Reidy]

Honestly, I am quite surprised (shocked, even) at how nice the building looks at that location. It really fits into the Sheepscot campus area nicely in style, form, and function. Good job to Brendan, Stewart, Josh, and the rest of the crew!

I agree.  I was concerned about the building's location and it's potential visual impact around the turntable, though I understood why it had to be sited where it is.  I'm very pleasantly surprised how nice the building looks.  Great job by all involved.

[Bob Holmes]

OK, now that this handsome building is nearly complete, can we begin to turn our attention to what it's going to take to make it operational?  That will be at least as fascinating as the construction of the building itself.

[Mike Fox]

That is all on our electrician and to be completed under his guidance only.

[Bob Holmes]

But can he explain it to us as he plans and executes?  We will all learn a lot from that.

[Mike Fox]

This is one wall inside one of our electrical containers. Based on my conversations with Josh, this is about what he will be installing. Each building will have a breaker in this building, and there will also be a Main breaker that kills everything..

[Graham Buxton]

This is one wall inside one of our electrical containers.

I'm guessing that by "our" you are referring to "your" employer - do I have that correct?

Noting the "480 volts" label on one of the breaker boxes, suggests that box is 3 phase.   Is there any plan for 3 phase in the shop facility at Sheepscot?    (Regardless of whether the WW&F would 'like' to use 3-phase for certain equipment, if that capability is not on the power poles on Cross Road, then  3 phase is not likely an affordable option.)

[John McNamara]

The presence of a fan or AC in the upper left corner of the photo brings up the question of ventilation. What are the thoughts on this?

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

A phase converter could provide 3 phase to the shop.

[Roger Cole]

Don't forget warning signs.

[Benjamin Richards]

CMP has a neat online map (through ARCGIS) that shows the location of their 3-phase circuits.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Styler/index.html?appid=efb79ff9e99c448fb6683ad192324375

The nearest 3-phase to the museum is shown as downtown Wiscasset, on Hooper Street, which serves the elementary school. Extending it up to Sheepscot isn't likely to be economically feasible.

Phase converters or VFD's are possible solutions for equipment that warrants it.

[Bill Baskerville]

Or, there is always the three phase generator that I think is still outside the shop.  At least I think it is a three phase generator.  I know it was used to run some of the equipment that had power requirements that were not available from the commercial lines.