NHER 55412 (Building record) - Great Yarmouth Electricity Works

Built in 1894 after months of delays waiting for machinery, this plant was the first power station in Great Yarmouth.
Originally, a 33hp gas engine powered a 15kw generator to supply private lines, 2 steam engines powered 2 dynamos supplying DC current to public arc lighting, and 2 other 140hp steam engines powered 2 alternators supplying AC current for public incandescent lighting. After testing, supply commenced on 12th January 1895, lighting 15 public areas, the railway approach to Vauxhall Bridge and 93 private customers, replacing 134 gas powered lamps in the process. After the first year of operation, the gas engine was replaced for a more powerful one and two 200hp steam engines were added to increase capacity in an extension to the building. On 5th March 1898 at 7.15pm, two of the steam engines slowed down due to too much condensed water in the system. The duty engineer shut off the steam but the boilers 'primed' causing the 2 engines to blow their cylinderheads clean off resulting in 6600 lights going off across the town. After some re-wiring in the plant the other engines were fired up and normal service resumed only 4 hours later at 11.10pm.
After several extensions and the addition of a chimney to cope with the exhaust, the station was able to provide enough power for the town council to consider building an electric tramway, which it did, coming into operation in 1902 and accounting for 18% of the stations profits. Early in 1904 a trench was dug in the river a power cable laid to supply Gorleston which opened its own tramway. In 1910 a cooling tower was built in the yard and in 1911 the main chimney was partially demolished and rebuilt to cracking brickwork. The advent of the First World War caused demand to drop by a third and the loss of many experienced staff to the forces.
Throughout the 1920s the station was upgraded with newer and more powerful equipment capable of generating thousands of mw's. This culminated in the replacement of the engines with steam turbines cooled with water pumped up from the Yare and capable of supplying a wide area as far a Lowestoft. The company also acquired specific use of the nearby wharf for coal delivery.
In 1931 tram service ceased meaning there was extra DC current available to the private customers who still used it.
On 1st January 1934 the station was incorporated into the national grid.
The Second World War again caused a drop in demand and staff, however the station supplied several local airfields and the overhead lines were even responsible for bringing down 2 enemy aircraft! Despite heavy bombing of Yarmouth the station never took a direct hit, although one substation did and occasionally wires were damaged by shot.
In 1953 the station was 5 feet deep in water due to the flooding that year, putting the station out of action for a while.
The station was closed quietly on Christmas Eve 1958 as the corporation had purchased new land in the South Denes Peninsula for a larger station to be built. At the end of its life the station had an efficiency rating of just 17%. Part of the building, that extended from the original in the corner of the site, still remains. The original brick structure however does not.
See (S1).
W. Arnold (HES), 10 May 2011.