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National Grid Training Facility: Old NEES/Mass Electric Sign!
National Grid came to the US from the UK in the very late 90s. They had bought out New England Electric System (NEES), which was planning on buying neighboring utility Eastern Utilities Associates (EUA). National Grid consumed both parent companies, effectively taking full control of the electric distribution in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. They also have territory in upstate NY in the Buffalo area and have some lines (I think transmission) on Long Island, NY. 

This was NEES's mascot, Reddy Kilowatt. Cool looking fella. A light bulb nose, a wall socket for an ear, his body is a bolt of electricity. This sign is in mint condition too. Must not have ever seen use outside.

NEES's Rhode Island branch was called Narragansett Electric [url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/PORCELAIN-REDDY-KILOWATT-NARRAGANSETT-NEW-ENGLAND-SYSTEM-ELECTRIC-RHODE-ISLAND-/282258380809?hash=item41b7e91809:g:OKIAAOSwB09YLND0] and here's their version of this sign, just to show you how much these signs go for. [/url]

[url=http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reddy-Kilowatt-Massachusetts-Electric-HUGE-porcelain-enamel-sign-4-by-29-1-2/291730360109?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007&algo%3DDISC.MBE&ao%3D1&asc%3D41375&meid%3D8bd2736546fd4e66a20fbf5e80adc3a9&pid%3D100009&rk%3D1&rkt%3D1&sd%3D282258380809] I also found a Mass Electric version for sale. [/url]
Keywords: Miscellaneous

National Grid Training Facility: Old NEES/Mass Electric Sign!

National Grid came to the US from the UK in the very late 90s. They had bought out New England Electric System (NEES), which was planning on buying neighboring utility Eastern Utilities Associates (EUA). National Grid consumed both parent companies, effectively taking full control of the electric distribution in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. They also have territory in upstate NY in the Buffalo area and have some lines (I think transmission) on Long Island, NY.

This was NEES's mascot, Reddy Kilowatt. Cool looking fella. A light bulb nose, a wall socket for an ear, his body is a bolt of electricity. This sign is in mint condition too. Must not have ever seen use outside.

NEES's Rhode Island branch was called Narragansett Electric and here's their version of this sign, just to show you how much these signs go for.

I also found a Mass Electric version for sale.

2017-02-08_184214.png HPIM0275.JPG 021717_011.jpg 021717_010.jpg 021717_008.jpg
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Filename:021717_011.jpg
Album name:Mike / Miscellaneous
Keywords:Miscellaneous
Filesize:266 KiB
Date added:Feb 18, 2017
Dimensions:2048 x 1536 pixels
Displayed:172 times
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=21492
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GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 18, 2017 at 10:23 PM]
Very nice! I always love vintage signs myself, with retro fonts, etc.
streetlight98   [Feb 19, 2017 at 01:11 AM]
Yeah this looks awesome. BTW, those 2X2 troffers are 2X F40/RS with u-tubes. They're very flickery. The camera made them look very white and bright though (they're actually more like a CWX, with that hint of purplish pink to them). About half the lighting was either converted to T8 or factory T8 but there were still a number of T12 fixtures.
joe_347V   [Feb 19, 2017 at 11:31 PM]
Nice sign, I have a collection of various vintage signs myself too. Hmm I wonder if they're only retrofitting the lights as the ballasts or lamps die then.
streetlight98   [Feb 19, 2017 at 11:47 PM]
Could be. They didn;t retrofit any troffers; all the lensed ones are T12 and the T8 ones are the "target style" ones with the 2X F32T8s on a HBF ballast with the white louvers. They are retrofitting the 2-lamp wrap lights though. The wrap lights are all well maintained (only two lamps per fixture, so the whole thing goes out when one lamp dies) but the 3-lamp F40/RS troffers are shotty. Most either have the inner tube or outer pair non-functional.

My classroom had the F40/RS troffers with the inner lamp and outer lamps switched separately. All the T12 lamps are cool white (either CWX or a yellowish 4100K, could be CWP or SP41 or something). Not sure if they use full-wattage T12s or ES though since they all had diffusers. The T8s use Sylvania 32W lamps though. Mostly 3500K for the T8s but I saw some 3000K and 4100K. The highbays are T5HO and glary as heck lol.

Comment 1 to 4 of 4
Page: 1