Why do some railroads have short light poles nearby–approx 8’. Is that so they will not be blown over onto the railroad? I’ve seen this in two states on short lines. I’ve been curious about it for years.
Most often the height of telephone and utility poles is determined by the kind of lines they carry as well weight load of lines and equipment. If there are any electrical power lines there is a certain amount of physical distance required between the power lines and other lines such as communications , telephone ,telegraph line. This is for safety reasons so that communications workers can avoid accidental contact with power .Power lines are most often at the top or upper part of a pole.Normally telephone lines and cables come next in order top to bottom .Then there are CATV lines and some times fire alarm lines at the lowest . This is what you may see on the street. Another reason for greater height are lines crossing over railroad ROW or crossing streets. I would guess that lines on railroad rights of way may carry lines that do not have these same requirements Another reason is the higher the pole the thicker in diameter they are and of course thicker and higher mean more cost and are harder to manhandle in to place on a right of way ,where it is difficult to get power equipment in to place poles.
Light poles or telephone/telegraph poles?
Along the right of way there isn’t reason to have a tall pole for the telephone, telegraph lines, all you need is to keep the wires off the ground. Its safer and easier to repair wires on a low pole than a tall pole.
Not to mention that a short pole is cheaper than a long pole! It’s all about the bottom line.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
And easier to clip a field phone onto the wires for the dispatcher phone circuit.
I seem to remember that until sometime in the 1980s, the former Soo Line (later Wisconsin Central, and now Canadian National) through Des Plaines, Illinois had short line poles that ran alongside the track. I believe these were removed when line was single-tracked. These line poles appeared to have no connection with local utilities, either.
One of my most valued posessions is a telegraph pole that came from the SAL in Florida. It is much shorter than a modern telephone pole. I rode the ACL in the 1960s and the telegraph poles were well below the level of the windows on the passenger cars.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that those type of short poles were used on the PRR as part of the radio-telephone system they used. Remember the aerials that ran along the top of their engines and cabooses. Anyway, it stated that the poles were short so that the aerials and wires were as close as possible thereby improving the quality of the transmissions. I can’t vouch for this information, but it seemed reasonable to me when I read it.
Tom