Lister Start-O-Matic electric generator on Great Barrier Island

The Shed on its travels came across this wonderful old generator on Great Barrier Island over the summer. It's a lighting plant generator called a "Lister Start-O-Matic".

The Shed on its travels came across this wonderful old generator on Great Barrier Island over the summer. It’s a lighting plant called a “Lister Start-O-Matic”. The generator gets that name because it can be remote-started by turning on a light of at least 40 watts and that will then automatically crank the diesel engine and start up the system. It turns off automatically when the last light is turned off. The specs: Lister type 6/1 single cylinder, water cooled diesel engine, developing 6 HP at 650 R.P.M.
A lot of the properties on the island are now moving to solar power so these generators will soon be a thing of the past.
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