The Spartanburg Railway, Gas & Electric Company and the Electric Manufacturing & Power Company constructed a hydroelectric power plant and dam at Gaston Shoals on the Broad River. Construction was started in 1907 and completed in 1908, Gaston Shoals original capacity was 12,000HP. Five generators were installed in 1908 with a sixth unit in 1927. Electricity powered traction railways, cotton mills, city lighting, etc. An auxiliary steam station was located spartanburg in case of low-waters or need for addition power. Transmission Lines: Gaston Shoals - Spartanburg, SC A main transmission line was built between Gaston Shoals and Spartanburg, SC, a distance of 28 miles. Aermotor steel towers [id=303413982] were used, each towers had three gray OB three piece multiparts (33,000 volts) and three brown M-3471 Thomas [id=328742637] (44,000 votls) that were carrying lines from the Southern Power Company's Ninety-Nine Islands Hydroelectric Plant. Telephone lines on the towers used gray U-927D glazeweld [id=328741988], only four are in the hobby today. Most of the older multiparts were replaced with OB in the 1920s. The line served Gaffney [id=344797619], Cowpens, Clifton [id=344271507], Converse and Spartanburg where substations feed mills and street railways. From Converse, a tap off the main line runs to Pacolet, SC. At Pacolet two substations were built, one at a quarry and another for the Pacolet Cotton Mills [id=344290778]. Another line ran from the central substation in Spartanburg to Woodruff and from Gaston Shoals to Blacksburg. Eventually the plant became property of the Southern Power Co. and is now operated by Duke Energy, still producing electricity today. The Hydroelectric Power Plants of South Carolina Collection: High Shoals 1894 [id=332186800] Pelzer Lower Dam 1895 [id=360186922] Portman Shoals 1897 [id=340212432] Berry Shoals 1903 [id=330110326] Holiday Shoals 1905 [id=332438399] Ware Shoals 1906 [id=347219612] Saluda Dam 1907 [id=268330246] Gaston Shoals 1908 [you are here] Rocky Creek 1908 [id=429285050] Boyd's Mill Pond 1909 [id=429197935] Ninety-Nine Islands 1909 [id=358895213] Fork Shoals -1910 [id=366408583] Tumblin' Shoals 1912 [id=366398406] Coneross 1912 [id=361466115] |