An unexpected road trip for a GSA generator

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Back in January I won the bid for a 25kva generator listed at my local airport on GSA. It was listed with the typical vague description and also didn't have any pictures. Being that it was less than 10 miles away I bid on it anyway and won it for less than scrap price.

It turns out that someone made a mistake and it wasn't at my local airport, but rather 100 miles further away in NY. Yesterday Fredo Corleone, Black Ops, and I set out with Fredo's m931a2 aka "Large Marge" and a xm1061 trailer to retrieve it. The generator is made by Hollingsworth for the FAA with a 298ci Hercules D3000 diesel. It has a 32vdc system and came with the 500lbs of batteries. It also had the service manuals, all the info on the MWO's done to it, even the factory test paperwork and blueprints from when it was first installed 40 years ago. Pretty neat.

The trip went fairly well except for the throttle linkage on the tractor decided to snap about 40 minutes from home (right at the top of a large hill with just enough momentum to coast into a parking area at the top). Black Ops fixed it good enough to get it home though. All in all it was a successful trip, but it still would have been nice if it was 200 miles closer.

 

[phil2968]

Sweet! Nice score! The ultimate home backup gen set!

 

[steelypip]

That's a handsome set. I don't know what I'd do with 25 KVA of generating capacity, but if you have a use, I think you got a great deal. It looks like an utter creampuff.

I wonder why 32V? Delco-Lights are the only things I can think of that run at that. Maybe it was built to be compatible with preexisting delco-light stuff on the DC side?

 

[Warthog]

32v is too complicated. Rewire it to 12v, it is easier to understand.

Great buy.

 

[LuckyDog]

... but it still would have been nice if it was 200 miles closer.

But wouldn't that have put it 190 miles away in the opposite direction????

Sorry, been working on a computer program too long......

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

Nice score! You can power your house and your neighbor's.

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

That's a handsome set. I don't know what I'd do with 25 KVA of generating capacity, but if you have a use, I think you got a great deal. It looks like an utter creampuff.

I wonder why 32V? Delco-Lights are the only things I can think of that run at that. Maybe it was built to be compatible with preexisting delco-light stuff on the DC side?

I have zero use for it, but figured for the price I couldn't go wrong. The 32 volt system is odd, I'm really glad I got the manuals with it since there is almost zero info on these sets online. There have been a few others sold on GSA lately.

But wouldn't that have put it 190 miles away in the opposite direction????

Sorry, been working on a computer program too long......

I guess you're right, except wouldn't it be 90 miles in the opposite direction, since it was 110 miles away to begin with?

 

[Recovry4x4]

I had a similar incident with GSA. Bought an M107 water buffalo 10 miles from the house. When I went to get it I was advised that it was in Key West 5 hours away. I was going to write it off as it appeared very rusty. After a few calls from Forestry I learned that they brought it north. I got it 10 miles from home.