European switchgear developments

AN electrical engineer visiting Europe is immediately struck by the wide differences in design of switch-gear compared to familiar practices in the United States. In England, metal-clad gear is nearly universal except for the highest voltages and even at 132 kv there are metal-clad gears. On the Continent there are almost no metal-clad gears. This does not result in any similarity between Continental stations and American open switching stations with their rows of tank-type circuit breakers. In France some tank-type oil circuit breakers still are being installed but a variety of different designs are appearing, while in Germany the tank-type circuit breaker may be said to be altogether obsolete.