Manors Power Station

The station was commissioned by the Newcastle Corporation to supply electricity to the Newcastle Corporation Tramways system, that was in the process of electrification, and to contain the organisation's offices. Construction of the station was initially delayed by a bricklayer's strike, but laying of the building's foundations commenced on 14 January 1900. The construction of the station was completed in 1904. The station generated electricity until 1936. The origins of this action dated from the 1920s. A parliamentary report by Lord Weir led to the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 (repealed 1989), which created the Central Electricity Board and the National Grid operating at 132 kV (50 Hz).…

The station was designed by architect Benjamin Simpson. In the station's boiler house were eight Lancashire boilers, each 30 ftlong and 8 ft in diameter. They were fitted with economisers and natural draught, working at a pressure of 160 psi. Flue gasses from the boilers were discharged through a 177 ft tall brick built chimney. In the station's engine house were three marine-type reciprocating steam engines, fitted with Corliss valves, surface condensers and Edward air pumps. Two of the engines had a rating of 1,000 horsepower (HP), while the third had a rating of 2,000 HP. Each engine was directly connected to a DC dynamo, which produced electricity at a pressure of 500 Volts (V). From…