Difference in telephone poles?

Is there any real difference in the telephone poles from say Atlas, Bachmann or Model Power, assuming that they all need to be repainted a flat wood color, the insulator color needs a touched-up, and the base removed if it comes with one?

 

There isn't much difference. If you are in N scale look at N Scale of Nevada's new line of telephone poles. I bought a couple of sets and went back for more. They are real wood and look great!

 

Thanks for the lead. The pictures of the utility poles from NSN look good. Off-hand I think the only thing I would do is paint the white V supports at the top.

 

You also way want to modify the arms to represent railroad usage. Here is a great page about telegraph poles and their use on railroads:

http://www.faradic.net/~gsraven/telegraph_tales/drgw/tg_instruments/tg_instruments.html

 

to paint the insulators use the scalecoat paints for some coulors use CNW green for the green hemingrays and D&H white for the milk glass insulators

 

Thanks Tony - good reference. I think it helps to vary the number of cross-members and configuration on the poles so they all don't look the same. Old pictures of the prototype also help:

 

wow look at all those insulators!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Tony,

Thank you for that image, it is a fascinating description of the telegraph linesman's work for that part of the company's network. Having dabbled in a bit of line work as an Australian Army infantry signaller quite a number of years ago the logic in line and cross bar position allocation is is excellent, not something you see very much. Noting of course that at the end of each type of telegraph pole series there needs to be a signal box (Australian term) or Station Masters office.

cheers,
Chris

 

looking for better Iprototype telegraph poles

I bought Atlas poles, painted them, and they still leave a lot to be desired. I would like prototype 10' cross arms with 10 insulators each. I wonder what effort would be needed to get something like that made? Ideally I would want just the cross arm, insulators and braces as a separate assembly. Then I could attach as many as I wanted to a wood pole.

There are several rapid prototype molding companies that can make parts from a 3D CAD drawing. I don't know that these companies are the best approach but that's where I'm looking now.

Anyone have suggestions or insight?

 

You might also check the following article in the Jan/Feb 2009 N-Scale Magazine:

Title: 'small effort - BIG RETURNS', by Dave Salamon, pgs. 31-35. Yes, it's about 'telephone poles.':tb-cool:

 

pole art

I picked this magazine up at the hobby shop yesterday. The article went farther than I did with pole detailing and I'll be trying some of his techniques.

The basic poles still leave much to be desired for this insulator collector and model railroader. I'll continue my explorations of injection molding to get that prototypical 10' cross arm with 10 insulators and report back when I learn anything new.

 

I use the "telephone poles" as utility poles. For that, you don't need nearly as many insulators as are provided; and there are not as many poles with three crossarms as with one or two (though all versions do exist in this corner of the world).

Though I've not taken an N Scale Ruler to them, I suspect that the commercial poles are really too short for some applications. When I briefly studied the utility business (for work) early in the 2000's, I learned that pole height can vary considerably based on the purpose and location of the poles. One utility kept in its inventory 30, 40 and 50 foot poles, to which were added crossarms, insulators, transformers, etc.

So, whether Model Power, Atlas or Bachmann (of which I have a large stash), I view the poles as "raw material"; I don't worry so much about the height but I do try to get closer to the appearance with respect to crossarms, insulators, junctions and transformers.

 

I just painted 36 Model Power poles and 12 Atlas poles last night. The Atlas poles are more consistently molded; sharp, clean edges, minimal molding flash and distortion. I can't say the same about the Model Power poles.

That said, I modify my poles pretty heavily, usually leaving only one crossarm. That gives me a chance to clean up the casting flubs a bit.

The Atlas poles offer an advantage that Model Power does not have. One box of Atlas poles contains two poles with transformers. The Model Power poles are all identical. Yes, you could add transformers to the Model Power poles, but it is nice to let Atlas do some of the work themselves.