Pole lines

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

New poles for prototype pole lines get delivered by NS on bulkhead flats to a team track area for the local utility. Makes for an interesting load and operation twist for modelers. Questioon though. How do you model something like that. That is not dead straight and tapers in some but not others. Any ideas i have been bouncing this around for a while

Wolfie

2

I use ⅛” dowels for residential power and rail communications for 35’ poles and 3/16” for 70” to 90” power poles. To get a taper I put the cut to length dowels in my bench drill press and run 100 grit sandpaper up and down the pole to get a slight taper then use a dark stain. I use .010” x 36” piano wire for wires. The piano wire doesn’t collect dust like thread and I can put the correct sag in the lines that stays put. I drill .010” holes in the poles and insert the wire to keep them in place. That way they can be easily removed for five finger maintenance in the area.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Railroad &nbs

3

Mel, great technique. I have seen the loads that the OP mentions, on some of the live cams I watch.

I’ve also used a battery powered drill for a lathe, for small stuff, but the drill press is an excellent idea, for “longer” projects.

Mike.

4

Have considered making some pole loads or piles awaiting distribution near the power plant. Like your idea for the wires Mel.

I have clamped my battery drill to my bench for several projects. Could use one or even a corded one to turn the dowels while sanding. (My drill press is a long way from the layout.)

Good luck,

Richard

5

Like Mel, I made my poles from dowel, chucked in a drill and tapered using sandpaper. Mine weren’t for a pole line, though, at least not immediately.

Instead, they need to be delivered, and so, I made them into a gondola load, based on a prototype photo…

Wayne

6

I have a small odd shaped spot with odd requirements to make operation possible and clearences for arms and such to operate. Utility pole unloading is perfect for that spot, prototypical, and fits nicely with clearences.

wolfie