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The First Enterprise1955 - 1963
In 1955 while voltage drops plagued utility workers, there was no lack of sparks at council meetings. For a time the problems of the light plant (and other civic matters) were caught in a gridlock. Employees explained that the tie line between plants was in need of replacement, or at the very least, massive repairs, a new code was needed for residential wiring, and the oil breakers at the East Plant were dangerous. They recommended replacement with air type breakers which would not explode. The next year the political situation settled down, and city business began to move ahead. Community development leaders and industry heads were concerned about the lack of an adequate interconnecting line. Prospective industries wanted a dependable power source, and existing factories worried about lost time due to power failures. The recommendations were approved. Orders were placed for transformers and cable to be used the following year. Among the projects to be completed were an interconnecting line between the two plants, and a new line to the Schield Bantam factory. The most public excitement, though, was created by the arrival of an Enterprise RV16 dual-fuel engine. Getting the 110 ton megalith from the factory to the rail line had taken months of planning, arrangement of a special rail car, and utilization of all equipment and men of a San Francisco moving company. Once on the way, it traveled at a maximum speed of twenty-five miles per hour. Two weeks later the engine arrived in Waverly at the Illinois Central depot. It sat on the siding for one week and spent another two weeks traveling the three blocks to and into the plant. It was one of the best shows in town. One interested observer was an Arabian engineer who had followed the engine from San Francisco. As a representative of King Saud of Arabia, he had a special interest in seeing it set in place and beginning its operation. He had just placed an order for six RV16s and three smaller engines for the king's palace. The palace, actually a collection of buildings the size of a small city, required a lot of air conditioning. 
1962 (This was a picture of the
East Plant during flood.)
The Enterprise, the 2nd largest engine in Iowa at the time, was capable of producing as much electricity as all of Waverly's other engines combined. When it was installed in the fall of 1957, the 3500 kW engine gave Waverly a total capacity of 9400 kW. According to figures from that year, the addition was well timed. The plant generated as much power in two months as it did in all of 1940. All went well for several months, and then without warning on December 5, 1958, a window-shattering explosion damaged a cylinder. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the engine was out for about twenty days while repairs were made and all new pistons and bearings were installed. The following March a second explosion occurred when a piston rod broke. Damage was far less extensive this time because an employee was able to shut the engine down immediately. Workers probably thought it was a case of deja vu in June when the Enterprise blew a third time, but the damage was minor and the plant was back on line in approximately nine minutes. An Enterprise repair crew which was already in town to modify the engine, completely overhauled it during the next week. The good news for the city was that it had not yet accepted ownership, and so all costs were borne by the manufacturer. 
1968 (This was a picture of flood
damage at the East Plant.)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Effective July 1, 1959, controlled off-peak water heating is being discontinued. This means that electricity will be available at all times to heat your water, and at the low rate of 1.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, tax included. During the past few days the time switches that controlled your electric water heating to off-peak hours have been removed or disconnected. Instead of your electric water heater being off from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., it will now be available for heating at any time that hot water is needed.
WAVERLY MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC PLANT
Things were looking bright on Bremer Avenue in 1960 when fifty-five mercury lights were installed, but enthusiasm for the Enterprise engine was dimming. With a five month shut-down proposed for repairs, two mobile units were shipped to Waverly to supply temporary power. With the growing population, the debate over buying yet another engine or opting for an interconnection resumed. The decision was made to tie in to the Corn Belt Co-op. Because the Enterprise was so often out of commission, the other engines were almost constantly in service, making it difficult to overhaul them. Finally, in March of 1963, after a five thousand hour run with no breakdowns, the city accepted ownership of the Enterprise. In the settlement the city received a four year warranty with $25,000 off the purchase price. In addition, a credit of over $19,000 was allowed for parts.
Herb Thayer had become Superintendent of Utilities in 1962. His first months on the job were extremely busy. In addition to the overhauling of the Enterprise, a new transformer serving Carnation and northwest Waverly was added just west of the West Plant. The smokestack at the East Plant was razed. The weight of the Christmas lights cracked a number of poles and threatened to bend others. Repairs and adjustments had to be made. And, as his title implied, his responsibilities included the other municipal utilities as well. 
1993 (This was a picture of flood waters
over dam by East Plant.) THE NORTH PLANT
1963 - 1970
When the West Plant was built, the area to the north and west was open fields. By the mid 1960s it became necessary to once again increase the power output. It was decided to look for a new site due to the lack of expansion area and proximity to the school. Suggestions for other uses of the West Plant included converting it into a library. With the advantage of using the river for cooling purposes, the city bought fifteen acres just north of the Waverly Elevator and near Carnation, one of its prime users. Unlike the original light plant, it was on higher ground and safe from flooding. As a bonus, there were already two wells on the site which had been dug for the sugar beet factory. A third well was dug and construction of the North Plant begun. The engines from the West Plant would be moved to the new facility and two new ones purchased. A heated debate over brands ensued. Despite its initial problems, the Enterprise had given good service and the company had made every effort to accommodate the city. As the final vote was cast, the decision was for two 3750 kW Enterprise engines. In 1967 Waverly cut-in the new interconnect system with Corn Belt at the North Plant providing the city with 10,000 kWs. The new engines were installed and in July of 1968 the engines from the West Plant arrived. One unique feature of the new plant was that filtered air from the basement rose through floor grates and was exhausted through the roof, thus helping to cool the engines and the work area. The facility was more than adequate to serve Waverly's population of 7,000 (including 1,300 Wartburg students) plus the 300 meters on forty miles of rural lines. Celebrating sixty-five years of municipal ownership, an open house of the new plant was held on October 19, 1969. "An interesting sidelight apart from the construction of the new plant is an adjacent eight acre pond. A twelve foot high, manmade dike around a settling basin for a sugar beet factory operation in earlier years posed a problem for the electric utility. A heavy brush and tree growth covered the bottom and a flood damaged portion of the dike admitted flood waters in the spring. The local chapter of the Izaak Walton league obtained permission and encouragement from the Iowa Conservation Commission to develop the area into a wild life refuge to include game fish, wild geese and ducks."* The area is known as Three Rivers Park. 
The North Plant as it appeared upon
completion in 1969.
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