Buzzing sound in 12/30 Franceformer

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Original poster: pepperman-at-softhome-dot-net 

I recently scavenged several NSTs, and started testing them.  One,
a 12/30 Franceformer, seems to have both sides working fine, and
makes nice long arcs to ground and terminal to terminal.

However, as soon as I plug it in I hear a distinct buzzing sound (60-
cycle buzz?), which makes me worry that maybe there's a short
somewhere I can't see.  Interestingly enough, there's a melted
track across the top of the asphalt potting (the top is open) from
one lead wire toward the other terminal, and the transformer had
some dead grass in it, most of which I've brushed out.  If it's good, I
intend to give it a good cleaning; if not, I'll take it apart.  But what's
causing the buzz?

Michael Johnson