The lost powerhouse of Raystown

This week’s Turbine Topic is one that is a little more curious and bit ironic. In the usual turn of events a dam is built to impound water, inevitably submerging all that lies above it. But in this case with the passage of time and the necessity for improved flood control a bigger and improved dam was built, ironically submerging the original dam and powerhouse. Deep below the water of Raystown Lake lies the original Raystown Waterpower Company. The facility originally chartered in 1906 with operation kicking off Jan 1st, 1914, produced electricity until finally be taken offline for the last time on April 26th, 1971.

As originally built, the Raystown Waterpower company was a modern facility in its time. The dam forming the impoundment consisted of 400' of spillway, a 250' section of earthen embankment and a bulkhead section about 180' long. The turbine equipment consisted of 3 units operating under 34' of head. Two of the double runner camel back units which shared a discharge were rated at 1,500 hp operating on 42'' Leffel francis turbines. The third and smaller unit produced 900 hp operating on 2- 36'' Samson francis turbines. The associated generators produced 1 mw each for the larger units and about 625kw of power from smaller unit. Power was generated at 2,400v and stepped up to 45,000v for distribution to neighboring communities. Looking ahead to modern times, the current power plant (which I had the pleasure of touring) carries on under the watchful eye of the Allegheny Electric Cooperative. The new modern facility is capable of producing 21mw of power from its 2 units.

But fear not, history and research initiatives are alive and well as this lingering giant sleeps at the bottom of Raystown Lake. A dedicated group of divers periodically dive the site, mapping, exploring, and wandering into the unknown. The group established in 2019 utilizes some pretty interesting equipment as they carry out their missions. If you are looking to learn more about their presentations and activities, they can be found under "Raystown DAM Divers" on Facebook. A true testament that there really is a hobby for everyone out there.