Pangani Falls
Hydro Electric Power Station
Tanganyika, 1938-1947
To see the full version, click on the thumbnail of the images. Photo enlarges to fit your display. Some photos may enlarge even further using icon at lower right corner of the image. To return to this page, click the Back Arrow.
This page includes images and photographs with a connection to this site. To add your photo, please contact KenyaKorner & put Kenya Photos as the subject.
Fred Marquordt, an Electrical Engineer, was transferred from Kenya (with his wife and five children) to be the Superintendent at Pangani Falls Power Station from 1938 - 1947. The photo of the Power Station (see below) was taken before extensions were made to house a new Turbine.
During World War II, one Stator burnt out. It was rewound by hand by Fred Marquordt and an Indian mechanic, and then reinstalled to run at half capacity with the remaining Turbine. Later, a new Stator was shipped out from England.
A new Turbine was installed about 1946 by Tom Watt, an Engineer from England, after the extension had been added to the Power Station. This made three fully operational Turbines.
Walter Smith joined the East African Power & Lighting Co. Ltd. (EAP&L) as an Electrical apprentice in 1940. During World War II, he served with the Nyasaland, (now Malawi) Battalion, and Kings African Rifles from October 1941 to October 1946.
On returning from active overseas service, he rejoined the EAP&L in October 1946. In June of the same year he was seconded to Balfour Beatty Co. and sent to Pangani Falls to construct an overhead 33KV power line from Pangani Falls to Neusagan Substation.
In May 1948 Walter was transferred back to EAP&L. In June 1949 he married Sylvia Marquordt, (Fred Marquordt's youngest daughter.)
 Pangani River Power Station |
 The new turbine |
 New bridge over the Pangani River, 1945–1946 |
 Pangani River Falls, 1947 |
 Main House at Pangani, 1947 |
 Another view of the Pangani house |
 Christmas at Pangani, 1940 |
 Tennis party at Pangani, 1947 |
Information and photos above supplied by Walter & Sylvia Smith and their son Glen.
Jack Cox was employed by Balfour Beatty Corp., and was involved with construction at the Pangani Power Station. At this time, the Cox family lived in Tanga, and his son Jerry was at Mbeya School. During school holidays, Jerry would occassionally go with his father to Pangani Falls Power Station.
While they were there one day, Jerry watched as workmen loaded a new transformer onto the trolley to deliver to the power station at the bottom of the slope. Half way down the slope, however, the cable gave way and the transformer crashed into the back of the building. The building was full of dust and there was debris lying about all over the place. The noise of the transformer hitting the back wall of the building was deafening.
When his father picked Jerry up off the floor, he was concerned for his son's well-being because Jerry's left arm was covered in blood. Luckily, it wasn't his blood. Jerry never found out whether anyone was killed, but it was an experience that he has never forgotten.
To contact persons mentioned on this page, please see join the Kenya List.
To re-connect to old friends, join the Kenya Korner List | Return to Home Page for East Africa
