VPRS 21039 Establishment Records

This series consists of the establishment records of the first Electrolysis Investigation Board. The Board was part of the State Electricity Commission Victoria (SECV, VA 1002), and appointed after consultation between the Chairmen of the SECV, Victorian Railways, and the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board. These records document the research done in the early 1920s to determine how the Victorian Electrolysis Committee would be established and the requirements for its function. The records detail the worldwide search to find an engineering consultative approach to overcome the interference effect on buried underground metallic structures from stray DC traction current leaking from the railway and tramway rail systems. This was aimed at finding a solution to this problem to avoid litigation by the Postmaster-General. The Postmaster-General alleged that the DC traction currents were damaging the lead sheathing on post and telegraph cables which breached the Post and Telegraph Act 1901 (Cth). The first Electrolysis Investigation Board reached out to the United States and European countries for their knowledge on dealing with electrolysis.  The first meeting of the Board was held on 20 March 1923 between the Chief Engineers of the State Electricity Commission Victoria (VA 1002), Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (VA 2694) and Victorian Railways (VA 3121). The final formal meeting of the Board was held on 11 August 1926. The final report of the Board is dated 12 November 1926 and was submitted to the Chairman of the SECV, Sir John Monash, on 18 November. These records consist of meeting papers plus technical papers, investigations, proposed legislation and standards from Boards of Trade and other controlling bodies from various countries around the world that were facing the same problems with electrolysis. As recommended by the Board, the Victorian Electrolysis Committee (VA 5651) was formed in 1927 and was given responsibility for managing the electrolysis risk and mitigation in Victoria. For their records, see VPRS 21043 Victorian Electrolysis Records and VPRS 21041 Technical Sub-Committee Records.