Plum Orchard

They were asked if they wanted to bid on the job.  Jerre Brumbelow, Park Superintendent, brought them over to Plum Orchard.  When they looked the job over, Jackie said, “Sure, we can do this.”  They submitted a bid to Enola Contracting Services and were awarded the subcontract for Electrical work.

 They have had a 2 man crew on this job from October 2006 until approximately July 2007.  When they get through with this job, Jimmy said that they had plenty of work waiting for them; Jackie [Bryant]said he was going to the “Old Electricians Home.”

 The company got started when the Durango Paper Mill in Saint Marys closed on October 28, 2002.  Jimmy and Dick Rowell were in the electrical department of the mill and needed something to do to make a living.  They started R& L with just the two of them.  Since that time, they have expanded to themselves and 13 others doing electrical work. 

 Jimmy said he didn’t really miss the mill, but he did miss the people and the camaraderie that existed there

 It was with a source of pride that Jimmy stated that they had not held up the contract – that they had kept their work going.  He did say that working with the Federal Government was considerably different from working with general contractors.  The main difference was in the promptness of responses to changes.  The Federal Government has levels of commands that decisions have to go through – unlike a general contractor.

[This information is from an interview with Jimmy Lucree on May 29, 2007]

These two power panels (today we use breaker boxes) are separated by the length of the house -- about 240 feet.  Each one is a work of art in brass and copper.  As you can see in the photos, the switches gleam; they are identified by brass plates above each switch.  These switches have been replaced in modern electrical construction by grey breaker boxes with black breakers which are identified (sometimes) with a scribbled notation.  The panel on the left is at the West end of the basement and the panel on the right is on the West end of the basement.