Boston and Maine Railroad Billerica Shop Complex - Power Plant

During the 1920s the B & M Railroad had over thirty power plants within its system and the Billerica Power Plant was considered the largest and most modern. It supplied electricity for light and shop power, compressed air for shop tools, steam for hammers in the blacksmith shop and heat. All heat was and is hot water heated by exhaust steam in the power plant and circulated through radiator coils. Original equipment included two GE 350 KW three-phase generators, driven by Rice & Sargent duplex engines which exhausted into a low pressure, Curtis turbine which drove a 750 KW generator. Other equipment included air compressors, boiler feed, condensate heating system return and fire pumps. Steam was provided by five Babcock and Wilcox 100 H P boilers. In 1947 the original chimney stack was replaced by a new, 147 -foot stack. Today the plant's services are much cut back, with two oil-fired boilers, approximately 15 years old, supplying power to the locomotive shop and office building.

References

1. MACRIS BIL.302