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Further to Graham's message, you can see an outline of their holdings here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=024-wdb29&cid=0#0 (though there may be more at the archive) I wonder if its worth looking at electrical periodicals of the day,I know that Greenside Lead mines, for example, featured in various electrical and mining journals as well as in-house company journals (i.e. Metro-Vick) at the time of its various upgrades from 1892 through to the 1930s. It could even feature in a Gilkes product catalogue somewhere. You might want to try specialist publications like "Water Power", Gilkes staff certainly wrote articles for it, see Paul Wilson's paper "A high speed impulse turbine" which talks about the development of the turgo. Some quick references to the Morwellham installation: - Mentioned by F.E. Pitt in his Chairman's address to the local Devon and Cornwall section in the Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Vol.92(51), March 1945, pp.111-113 - Water Power Vol.19, (probably January issue 1967), p.5 "The power plant comprises two Turgo impulse wheels (horizontal-shaft single-jet impulse turbines of Gilkes design), each developing 460bhp under a net head of 225ft. The turbines discharge into tidal water and each is mounted over a concrete draft tube 5ft 8in diameter of which the tailwater rises to within about 6in of the rim of the runner. The turbine runners are, in fact, 9ft 6in above the normal tailrace water level. If the water rises higher in the suction tube a float-operated snifter valve admits air to the casing, thus preventing backwatering of the runner. These units were supplied to Christy Bros., Chelmsford for the West Devon Electricity Supply Co. Ltd in 1934..." The Christy Bros reference might also be worth pursuing as it will involve Frank Christy (1865-1957) an electrical and civil engineer of many years in Devon. Apologies if this is well-known, (I'm interested in Gilkes and hydro-electrics in the 1890s) Chris ________________________________ From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Tuesday, 6 September 2011, 17:36 Subject: Re: Gilkes Water Turbines Kendal Record office have a large archive from Gilkes in the town Graham >----Original Message---- >From: [log in to unmask] >Date: 06/09/2011 13:09 >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Subj: [mining-history] Gilkes Water Turbines > >Dear List, > > > >I'm trying to locate good copies of technical drawings for water turbines by >Gilbert Gilkes & Co of Kendal, > >who supplied a pair of 320kW Turgo Impulse turbines for the Morwellham Power >Station in West Devon, > >in 1933-34. > > > >Any ideas? The company's current website is unhelpful, concentrating on new >kit, not old plants. > > > >Robert Waterhouse >