Utility Pole Wires


Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
I'm planning to "wire" my utility line poles with the stretchable poly material. Should I secure the poly every pole or glue each once. I would wrap it around every other insulator.

Any tip on how you installed your wire. It seems like a long project, but worth the visual effects and realism.

Thanks.

Greg
 
I haven't completed it yet, but I am going to wire up utility poles in a small town that is currently under construction. Instead of poly wire, I am going to use some .010" wire that I stripped out of some computer cable. It happens to be the same thickness as Berkshire Junction's EZ Line. It doesn't spring and stretch like poly wire, but I am using it where I will not have to reach over it to gain access to the layout. I believe that it scales out at a bit under 1". I laboriously drilled .021" holes with a #75 drill bit in each insulator. I don't have a picture yet because I haven't assembled them yet; I won't do so until the town is completed so as not to have to work around them. With a little practice, the holes went pretty easily, but you must have steady hands, and use Optivisors along with a good pin vise. A hobbyist drill press would probably work also. It's overkill, but I didn't want a glob of glue visible since it is an eye level scenic highlight.

Willie
 
The less glue the better. If tension can hold some of the wire in place I wouldn't use glue there. I am also going to post a wire project I just finished.

George
 
I thought I would glue every other insulator and just a small spot of AC to hold the EZ Line on the alternate insulators. I would wrap the unglued Lines around the insulator and then maybe repaint the insulator green to help hide the glue.

Thanks,

Greg
 
I remember Dave Banta who had to dismantle his layout when he had to move for work posted about stringing wires on his utility poles. I think he had used some sort of fibre for the lines and they really looked fantastic. Haven't heard from him in quite a while. I had thought about putting in some utility poles but without a doubt, I am sure that some way, some how I would get my hands into them and screw things up.
 
Dave:

I'm using two types of utility poles one from Atlas and the other unknown that I purchased at a Bargain Table. The insulators are molded right on the cross braces and I paint them a shade of green. One painted them a other color like off white for an example.

Greg
 
I'm planning to "wire" my utility line poles with the stretchable poly material. Should I secure the poly every pole or glue each once. I would wrap it around every other insulator.

Any tip on how you installed your wire. It seems like a long project, but worth the visual effects and realism.

Thanks.

Greg
Don't put them along the layout front edge because hands/arms WILL find them! ~}

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk
 
cajon:

"Don't put them along the layout front edge because hands/arms WILL find them! ~}"

Excellent advise.

However, I do have many poles near the edge of the layout, but left open areas to re-rail or place locomotives or rolling stock. Even with out wire, I have caught the poles on a sleeve or hit them with a hand.

I need to be more careful.

A friend of mine wired his poles and the realism added is worth the work and extra caution need when working around the poles.

Greg
 



Back
Top