The 1st tale: Sakuma FC and a myna
SXR's works before retirement was for power transmission field. Although I worked in many areas in that field, I had been in charge of the crucial system of a very special installation called, Sakuma FC, for more than 20 years until it ended its role in 1993. The picture is for this installation.

The FC is an abbreviation of Frequency Convertor Station. As Sakauma Frequency Convertor Station is too long to pronounce, we simply called it, FC.

This is an installation to exchnage electric power between 50 Hz region in the east and 60 herz region in the west. AC is once converted to DC and then inverted back to AC of different frequency. The exchange capacity was 300 MW.

The location is immediately below Sakuma dam and very close to its power station. To change train at Toyohashi station of Shinkansen to Iida line and to get off at Chubu Tenryu. And to cross a suspension bridge for persons only seen at the upper left corner of the picture. Upon passing the station gate, a flock of large carps in a pond rushes toward us, anticipating fish feed. Well, somewhere like that.

There was a barbershop in front of the station gate and the barber kept a myna. One day probably in winter, I had my hair cut in that shop. The female barber looked catching a slight cold and sniffled, then the myna imitated that sniffling sounds. Upon hearing someone's sneeze, the myna mimicked that sound too. The replication was indeed fine. The barber repeatedly told the myna, "Oh Dear, Stop Please". But the myna assumed a nonchalant air.
Outside the shop, someone was trying to start a car engine but failing again and again. Then the myna instantly mimicked the starter sounds in an exact tune as if it was a matter of course. I assure you that myna is able to mimic even such mechanical sounds.

The Iida line at that time frequently suspended its services on heavy rain days. One such rainy day, I had to visit the FC. Instead of the suspended side from Toyohasi, I took the opposite route down from the Suwa Lake side along the Tenryu river. The water amount was extravagant and blowing up water sprays, and looked flowing into all directions, downstream, upstream, right side, left side. I was really scared.

The photo at the left is for the crucial equipment, high-voltage mercury-arc -valve rectifiers.
This shows a half of the installation. These were housed in the long building seen behind the upper photo, from one end to another, almost 100 m long.

The system was imported by EPDC from Sweden. Different from the ordinary image of rectifiers, these are rated for plus/minus 125 kV and 1200 A to enable the power exchange of 300 MW.

Thus the rectifier groups show such a peculiar appearance, standing atop long insulator columns. In retrospect, I was nurtured to study a lot by both the EPDC and Swedish side.

2 photos above are from a booklet of EPDC, Sakuma Frequency Converter Station, Showa 39th year version.

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