Granville Camsey: Rugeley Power Station

1970s electricity industry manager Granville Camsey takes us on a tour through Rugeley power station to explore how a coal and water is turned into electricity for our homes.
Recorded as part of An Oral History of The Electricity Supply Industry in the UK. For more information on the project visit www.bl.uk/nls

[@John-pp2jr]

WOW what a clear explanation. An absolute pleasure to listen to someone with a clear grasp on the engineering.

[@collegefreaks2000]

I love listening to someone who is so knowledgable of their work!

[@hermdeer]

A very good explanation from a very knowledgeable gentleman

[@stack1378]

What a great explanation of the process.

[@citroenfil]

I used to work for the fire alarm company that used to maintain and test the fire alarms there in the eighties. Amazing place. Used to stand on the platform and watch the loco’s bringing in the coal and opening the hoppers. Used to hate going into the conveyor sump under the railway lines. It was always full of black sludge and you had to walk through it to get to the break glass call point down there. The ORF pump house was always deserted unless there had been a mega oil leak. Loved the main turbine hall. The car park near the output transformers buzzing scarily away.

[@andyclark1426]

An absolutely spot on way to describe a coal fired station, a wise man

[@mikehoughton9741]

Worked at Fawley (oil fired) throughout the late 60s 70s & 80s, and met Granville a couple of times, when he paid us a visit...found him to be a very knowledgeable man, but most surprisingly, very down to earth. I'm sure that he had more than one persona, but that was the man that I remember.

[@clivewinters7479]

A very good presentation from an experienced engineer, sad to see it go....

[@Dickinsonradiotv]

I remember going to an open day back in the eighties with my parents here, i was about 8 years old and i loved it!!!

[@evadsamol]

Worked here for 16 years

[@LD-bv1pm]

I worked on SCADA systems at all the NP plants in the 90's - Rugeley, Drax, Fawley, Eggborough, Didcot etc. fascinating places. I always found the operators and engineers very willing to explain the workings and got to see many units in detail during outages.

[@kennethrochester2267]

I started here in 1969 after leaving the RAF.Bit different now but only the control room all the rest looks the same! Any one else out there from those days!Ashing out the boiler was a dirty dangerous job,wonder how they get on with health &safety now!!

[@LeeStaffs1]

Fascinating insight into a local landmark.

[@llionellis]

This is the best explanation of how a coal-fired station works that I have ever heard.

[@BaZzZaa]

Awesome explanation!!

[@alanythomas7084]

Good insight to a coal station,I worked for 37 years in a nuclear station,good efficient running by the CEGB then downhill after

[@nickcox2974]

This is a very good video how things have changed listening to someone who has worked in this industry and can explain from start to finish how it works. Thank you.

[@haroldhills3501]

Not enough views! Back in the day the public was allowed visits and tours of power stations (including nuclear) but alas things have changed. This short video gives the viewer an excellent insight into the basic processes that make electricity the we use in our houses and businesses. A shame that more looks into things such as the working boiler were lacking but hey this is free and good quality so can't grumble!

[@cjmillsnun]

EDF are now doing Nuclear power station tours again...

[@philhealey449]

Totally agree; as an engineer today I vividly recall trips around Plymouth's power station as a 12 year old and then Hinckley Point at around 17, in both cases stumping the tour guides with technical questions. Power station visits should be compulsory for kids not prohibited ! I was baffled later as an engineering student when a fellow thermodynamics student asked why we had to learn about steam and he seemed surprised when the lecturer pointed out how the lights were kept on.

[@paulnic7190]

All gone now. The towers came down a few days ago

[@mnshp7548]

so sad watching the boiler house come down so much technology and history gon in seconds

[@DrumToTheBassWoop]

Time for a more greener future. 😎

[@JaeV2000]

this is the sort of power station I like, if only Ironbridge was still going

[@NBMedia8928]

This station too is now closed

[@JT-zl8yp]

"A steam turbine is a sophisticated wind turbine".....great analogy there

[@ottawareports8493]

Did you hear the explosion of the C4 that went off at it the get rid of a ventilation pipe?

[@RedKnight-fn6jr]

...and now, with all this 'climate change' lunacy, this power station is no more - wonder if it would remain operational today in the absence of green lunacy? Perhaps the station was obsolete, but one would wonder...

[@jamesgreen7647]

There will be a shortage of electricity and more houses, so silly to get rid of this place.

[@leopinty5103]

Nah, we've got a whole river that we could use for hydro.

[@brinsleyanimalrescueregist155]

COAL IS DEAD

[@sherihancroft]

he knows very little its NOT built on the old A station site

[@philhealey449]

Looks so, given the dates of stations A and B, but a very succinct description of a power station with no stumbles in the delivery; I'd only take issue with the "white hot" turbine blades I think, which seems a doubtful situation even at supercritical conditions of around 600 Deg C.

[@surreyscouse2873]

He's wrong, I was doing an overhaul on B when the boiler house on A came down. Rugely lost it's TV signal, it bounced off the old A station.