"Combined Ops " in Transformer Transport
Page 40
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THREE B.T.H. 30-MVA synchro nous condensers travelled by barge on the final stage of the journey from the B.T.H. Rugby works to the Otahuhu sub-station of the New Zealand Government State Hydro-Electric Department.
Otahuhu is only some nine miles from Auckland, but, because of tunnel limitations, neither the rotors nor the stators could be sent by rail, and the roads for the whole distance, being within the Metropolitan area, were barred. Otahuhu is, however, close to the head of a tidal inlet, so sea transport could be used.
Accordingly. a barge capable of carrying a special Dyson trailer, weighing some 76 tons when loaded with a stator or rotor, was obtained. At Auckland, each rotor and each stator was lifted from the ship -to the trailer, which was already in position on the barge. The barge was then towed Co a place near the sub-station.
At this point a landing stage was arranged, so that the trailer could be towed off the barge to the sub-station, which was then about half a mile distant.
The Dyson trailer mentioned had a short time previously been used in con
nection with the transport by road and rail of two identical B.T.H. synchronous condensers from Wellington (N.Z.) to Bunnythorpe, a distance of 94 miles through most difficult cD.untry.