The Museum of Old Electrical Items

These pages were originally part of the main Electrical section, but due to size and quantity they have been relocated to their own separate category.

All of the items featured here are old, obsolete and in most cases not available from anywhere. There are examples of how things used to be done - and plenty more where they were completely wrong in the first place.

Contents

Cables & Wiring - Old cables, clips, containment and other cable related items
Clock Connectors - Plug and socket pairs used exclusively for wall mounted electric clocks
Converters & Adaptors - Adaptors and converters to change one type of plug into another
Cooker controls - Wall mounted switches for permanently wired electric cookers
Danger and Doom - Failed and dangerous electrical installations
Earth Leakage CBs - Obsolete earth leakage circuit breakers
Fixed Appliances - A selection of old fixed electrical appliances
Fuseboxes - Fuseboxes and other ancient electrical equipment
Fuses & Fusewire - Old fuses, fuse wire and fuse related items
Lamps and Bulbs - Old lamps, light bulbs and illuminated indicators
Lighting Accessories - Old wall mounted light switches, ceiling roses, lampholders and ceiling pull cord switches
Meters and Cutouts - A selection of old electricity meters and cutouts
Plugs - BS1363 - BS1363 13A flat pin plugs
Plugs - BS372 - Old BS372 two pin unpolarised plugs in various sizes and styles
Plugs - BS52 Bayonet - Adaptors and plugs used to connect various appliances into a ceiling light
Plugs - Non Standard - Non standard 13A plugs and sockets based on BS1363
Plugs - Other 13A - Alternative 13A fused plugs for use on 30A ring final circuits
Plugs - Other Types - Unusual plugs for multiple types of socket outlet
Sockets - BS1363 - Old BS1363 socket outlets from various manufacturers
Switches & FCUs - Old switches for water heaters and other fixed appliances, both with fuses and without
Timeswitches - Time switches and time clocks for fixed and portable appliances
Tools & Equipment - Old electrical related tools, testing equipment and various other artefacts
Wylex Fuseboxes - Vintage Wylex fuse boxes, switches, circuit breakers, fuses and other related items

Updates

Most recent update - 31st January 2021

NEW Osram Royal Ediswan Candle Lamps - Four unused glass candle lamps, boxes branded Osram with the lamps themselves Royal Ediswan. 20 watts, 100 volts, small bayonet cap.
NEW Crabtree brown bakelite pendant switch - Brown bakelite Crabtree pendant light switch, designed to be connected to a 2 core flex.
NEW Britmac Little Briton light switch - Small wall mounted light switch, made from brown bakelite and vitreous china. 5 amps, 250 volts, Little Briton.
NEW Crabtree Lincoln 5 Amp light switch - Unused Crabtree Lincoln New Pattern 5 amp light switch with original box.

Previous update - 31st October 2020

Switched plug with neon indicator - White plastic BS1363 UK plug with a switch and neon indicator in the lid.
MK Logic Wide Rocker 2 way Light Switch - Old MK Logic two way light switch with extra wide rocker which uses the same moulding as a 3 pole fan isolator.
Neo Maintest neon voltage indicator - Boxed example of a Neo Maintest, a neon voltage indicating device made in England by Neo Electrical Industries.

Older update - 9th April 2020

Woodhurst Fuse Wire and Key, 1950s - Printed fusewire card from Woodhurst Equipments NW9, with three values of fusewire and a fuse key for opening the fusebox.

This section contains 260 pages of information.

Pages are added as and when we obtain items of interest, which is mainly when removing older equipment during refurbishment or renovation.
Donations are welcomed, please see this page for details.

About this museum

This is a virtual museum only. You can't visit or see them in person.

Wanting to buy something?

Everything here is old and obsolete. Items are not for sale, and even if they were it is usually impossible to install such things and comply with today's wiring regulations. In some cases, using old items like these would actually be dangerous.

If your home contains any of the items featured here, your electrical installation will require updating at the very least. If you have things such as rubber insulated wiring, circuits with no earth connection or double pole fuses, your electrical installation should have been completely replaced decades ago, and is very likely to be a serious hazard.

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