visited mombassa kenya in 1979 while in the navy. Sure looks like the place. Although i was more concerned with booze than anything else but it sure looks like the wireing that was there.

what a experience it would be to mock that up, legally.

I love Disneyworld for it's detail in authenticity.

Thats really cool! I'm glad that its just for show. It would be fun to "wire" a system like this, far more relaxed than the kind of work i'm used to doing

Anoter cool vintage electrical mock up is the "Indianna Jones" ride at Disneyland. It's an acient temple being opened. They have an old open construction type generator shack actually running (with an electric motor drive) but there is authentic antique engine sound effects. The old generator is very unstable and as it dips and chokes, the carnival type string lighting dims and blinks in sync. Of course in some underground vault there is some embedded microcomputer running the whole thing with a very state of the art VFD on the motor.

Yes, they are sticklers for detail.

[This message has been edited by Gus99 (edited 11-02-2006).]

OK I have got to say it.
Gus99 I spent about a year working on that ride when it was being built in '94. I know it well. All the open overhead wiring is props installed by the WDI prop people. The fixtures are actually wired in code compliant traditional methods. One thing I noticed last time I was there was the incandescent fixtures in the Que. (The custom old looking ones with the fake wiring) We had to supply frosted lamps with the stamp, the one that tells you the voltage and wattage, put on top of the bulb to wards the socket rather than the bottom of the bulb. This was so you couldn't see it and it enhanced the "old" look. Over the years the maintenance guys have just replaced them with standard every day lamps. The original lighting designers were very particular and I am sure would not be happy with how it looks now.
I don't remember what drives the motor you were talking about, it is a prop so it's probably just a plan old 120V circuit, but I can tell you the lighting in the area you are talking about is fed and controlled by Strand dimmer panels with DMX control. They were installed, if memory serves,in an existing electrical room that feeds part of The Pirates of the Caribbean. I didn't do allot of work in the Que. I spent most of my time in the ride area. It was actually a fun job. Every one I have done there since has been a miserable experience. I'm sure it's just the difference between working with the tools and dealing with WDI as a Foreman.

Wow, two Sangamo Type H meters (1911-1914)! Notice the rust. They were not designed for outdoor mounting back then.

I once saw a GE I-14 (1913-1927) in Mexico, still in revenue service as of 2001. I wish I had a picture of it. I have my own I-14 that I used to submeter my fridge for a year.

In pic No.2, that wire looks like coaxial cable.
I could be way wrong though.

I imagine all that fake bad wiring is all well bonded to ground. So it can never get "hot" and become the hazard that it's supposed to look like.

It appears the meter in pic 1 was never used.... They got it new?

And I thought some of the service wiring here was messy!

yatx, are you a big meter collector? i collect several types.find most on ebay.your right about the"H" they were defintely not for outside service.e57 if they got this one new i sure would like to buy several. most likely they found these on ebay.pauluk,think your wiring over there's scary, ya sould see some of it over here!YIKES!!!!!!

Hah, I was at animal kingdom this past Sunday.
I saw these very meters on the wall and I had to

Circuit Man,

I dabble in collecting, like I dabble in a lot of things. I have the I-14, which is pretty much mint and was zeroed out when I bought it. I have a GE Type I, which is in terrible shape but looks neat, and a few modern meters.

Is that mess (excluding the meters obviously) actually hooked up?

I've seen nasty installations here in Queens County also...and other outlying areas.

AK was built in 1998, so surely none of it would actually be hooked up, especually in the land of Lawers, Liability, Insurance, and Disney's works.

No, I would be willing to bet a fair sum that they are not live. Disney is anal about safety and cutting edge technology. So, safety aside, thes meters are too old and low tech for them to use. They are extreme sticklers for detail. As such, these units were most likely purchased at an overseas auction and imported to the States just for this attraction. Very expensive and time consuming for a basic prop that 99% of the population wouold never notice or appreciate. But, that is how serious the Disney folks are about details. Another example, the foreign cast members are never allowed to work for Disney for more than one year. That way they do not become Americanized and lose their accent/authenticity.

[This message has been edited by IanR (edited 12-11-2006).]