Heading out to the Lake Margaret power station after a nice morning snowfall. Our West Coast Wilderness Railway guests were beaming and so glad they had opted for the WCWR supported Steam/Hydro experience.
The Mt Lyell Mining & Railway company built the ABT system equipped rack and pinion railway and soon followed that marvellous innovation up with this 1912-1914 horizontal axis Pelton wheel turbine and woodstave pipeline equipped hydropower scheme. The original station expanded from 4 to 7 turbines and then a complete extra powerhouse was installed downstream 1931. Original machinery is still proudly roaring and the two woodstave pipelines have been replaced....with wood!
We enjoyed a nice afternoon tea inside the abandoned Village hall before heading back to Queenstown. Really great day.