I will be installing electricity poles on the layout soon, how far apart should these be installed? I am thinking 12 inches? Also do you string wires across the poles? I am thinking not very practical If I install in front of switching tracks?
According to Ask.com, urban areas are usually 125' apart, in rural areas up to 300' apart depending on terrain.
Don't know if I can answer directly, but... I have poles on my one module (N scale) and after a lot of reading and thinking through settled on 8" spacing for the scale. That looks good, and comes out to a little more than 100 scale feet between. Maybe double (or a little less) for HO and I'd be for trying 15" and see how it looks. Also currently working on the wire (my poles luckily behind the tracks) and kind of regretting it for trying to loop the fine lines around N scale crossarms, but oh well. I think if you go with EZ Line (Berkshire Products, I ordered mine from Trainworld/Trainland) it is designed with some elastic give to it so that the "Oops" moments won't necessarily destroy the work.
Trying to recall. It's been almost 40 years since my days with an engineering company that did power work. For a tangent, 125-150 feet. Going around an arc, it can shorten considerably. Down to about 75 feet. The farther apart, the greater problems can become with sag.
Here are the results so far, adding poles has added much more realism to the scene Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Does make quite a difference in proper appearance. Do you plan to string them? Also, I'd suggest painting the insulators; on the poles I'm working on I did them silver then a clear green over that.
They look great, Paul! Power poles will be about the last thing I'll be placing on my layout, I'm looking forward to the results.... evenutally.
What paint did you use for clear Green also yes i do intend on stringing wires eventually Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Paul- Get some "E Z Line". It comes in several colors. Insulators- Power lines tend to be ceramic, usually brown. The assorted glass colors usually lower voltages of communications lines.
The insulators were brown in color on distribution lines from about 1930,s until maybe late 1960's, where gray insulators replaced them. Dont forget that angles and deadends have guy wires attached to the pole to back up the strain within 16" to 2" from the stain. Green secondary glass was used on secondary crossarms until the 1980,s and some company's still use green glass. In the 1960,s you would see triplex ( three conductors wrapped around each other. Two black (hot legs) and on bare aluminum (neutral) replacing open wire secondary. These would have an attachment to the pole going pole to pole or pole to the weatherhead attached to the building. In modern eras you would see mid span attachment that run to the building weatherhead on the secondary. Connections from the transformer will drop down and attach to the secondary at or by the pole. The transmission poles (69,ooo volt on poles or towers to 500,000 volt towers) would have brown glass, green or even clear insulators or if around the 1960's you would see gray glass also. In the 2000's modern era you would see epoxy insulators on allot of highline poles and towers. Don"t forget the substations that drop the voltages from transmission voltages to distribution voltages. The use of bucket trucks didn't really take off until the 1960's. so the linemen would climb the pole. They also would have a handline from where they are working to the ground, and a groundman to run materials to the linemen. From a lineman of 35 years in the trade.
That is awesome information , I think stringing the wire is going to be a challenge however it will add to realism I just have to ensure it is all clear of switching operations
The clear paints I've used are by Tamiya. I kow they have green, blue, yellow, red and smoke. Looks decent over silver.
