A Look at The past In The Southern Adirondacks PICS

I had to meet with a lady today, to access a site to determine how she could produce electricity. She had told me that she owned an abandoned Hydro Plant. After a 5mile drive down a dirt road I came to her place. She is an "off grider" I was quite excited to see the old power house, so down the trail on foot we went. We came to to a large stream and proceeded along a path until we came to a very large tyle block building. The building was abandoned in 1948. In the center of the building was around concrete silo like hole in the floor about 14' in diamiter, The 4' cast penstock pipe protruded through the back wall' and a set of rails were imbedded in the floor and ran out through where a large door had been.Presume a large lifting divice ran on these rails. the tail raceway dropped down the center of the runner wheel. and dumped back into the stream. My problem was there was no water flowing through the building.So I asked how the water got in to feed the turbine and she pointed to the disconected penstock. She said the penstock went up a steep bank about 150' to a point behind the original caretakers house, Her father went on to tell me that the water flowed 4.5 miles through a 6' diamiter wooden pipe connecting to a man made dam, built to supply the water.Mind boggling considering this power station was built in early 1900s and this aquaduct followed a man made path simular to a railroad bed.(see pic. with the wooden cradles setting on concrete footings). I did however find a spot up stream to install a modern day hydro unit.

That is really neat to see. Thank you for posting the pictures. Is the bottom picture still an active dam or is that the one that went with the building? It looks newer or in better shape or something.
Zach

I read a story a couple of years ago by a GE engineer who had been called to China to service a turbine of roughly the same vintage. The power plant had been in continuous operation; it had been maintained all those years by the same man, through all the political upheavals that took place in China during the 20th century.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

The dam is routinely maintained by the state.

Was this a private endeavor originally or part of the state grid? If private, it must have been somebody with big $ to construct something like that! Very interesting.

As I understand it started as a local cooperative. NYMO owned it when it was shut down in 48 There are several more plants of varing sizes still operating but much closer to civilization. There is so many interesting relics of the past around here. One could spend years documenting all of them. There are still a few old timers around that worked at these facilities. Very interesting stories.

Very nice. Love to see old buildings like that just to see where we came from back then and where we are today

Thanks for the pics and the story.
Charley Hellickson, Madrid IA.

I have a creek at the rear of my property that"s almost as big as the one in the pic. Unfortunately, there"s no head at all, just too flat. I"d love to be able to put in something to take me off the grid, but not enough water flow, sun or wind to be cost effective.

the wooden plume was an open trough while the penstock was an enclosed metal pipe. water from the elevated plume would enter the penstock and descend to the turbine runner through wicket gates. the silo was used to absorb water shock in the event the wicket gates where close abruptly. the silo was void of water and served to provide a cushion of air to absorb the shock to protect the penstock and plume from the force of water reversing it direction. one such dam is still in operation on the ocoee river near cleveland, tn.

What area in the Park? I went up to look at an abandoned hydro-site last summer in Wells, Hamilton County. It was up for sale from the town of Wells and no longer in operation.

Also, very near my land and off-grid solar-powered house, in Indian Lake, is another hydro-plant that is being abandoned, and the town of Indian Lake tried to take it over. Last I heard, they could not get approval to run it. There are many, many, regs. involved.

About 10 years ago, the complete Adirondack Park made more electricity then was used due to all the hydropower, and the few full-time residents. Naturally, electric rates aren't any lower though. Also, many are now being "turned off" and taken out of use.

The water traveled 4.5 miles in an wooden pipe that was hooped. A guy used to walk the pipe every couple of days with a bag of ceder wedges and a hoop wrench to control leakes. The pipe laid near level. The head pressure came from the dam to push the water to the power house. If you want you could call it a 4.5 mile long penstock. The cast penstock coupled to it above the power house. There was a large enclosed cast housing that sat in the pit with a pellton or simular runner in it., Vertical axis. Generator mounted above. Not sure weather it was direct on shaft or geared.

enjoyed the pictures and info. would loved to have seen the wooden pipe, even better, would liked to have been the guy walking the plume. google ocoee hydro plant #2 for good reading and pictures of a similar operation.

Still several of these old hydroplants in operation in North Eastern N.Y. In the past 15 years or so some previously shutdown plants have been restarted.

Still several of these old hydroplants in operation in North Eastern N.Y. In the past 15 years or so some previously shutdown plants have been restarted.