I am getting close to installing power and phone poles on the layout. I’m up in the air as to whether I want to install wire on the poles or just fake it. What do you guys do?
Personally I think the poles are just fine by themseleves. Unless you want to detail lines going to a building as part of the scene.
Some will say go for the scale wire and “wire” your poles.
Others will say the “wires” will get in the way if you need to access a train derailed or such.
The question would be just how much detail do you want to go on your layout? If you want it totally representable, then wire them up. If you just want the illusion of reality, leave the poles by them selves.
Hi!
Fake it! While “real wires” may look great, they have a tendency to get snagged, and sag (some are less prone to do so), and gather dust.
If you are building a really detailed super high quality layout, then I would wire them. Otherwise, I think you are better off not doing so.
Just my opinion - which I gave as asked.
I forget the name of the product, but that elastic line would be my only rec if you really want to string the phone poles. Thread and all forms of wire have been used over the years on the club layout only to have all that tedious/ hard work destroyed from a simple hit or snag while reaching into the layout. The stretchy line will at least give you some give and may not create any damage. Worst case may just break or move a pole or two, not yank them all like dominoes and have the lines sagging all over the place.
I am a big fan of `virtual’ catenary and overhead wiring. The fewer things the klutz in my shoes can snag on the layout, the better.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with catenary that isn’t there)
If you haven’t finished detailing the area inside where the poles will be, I would omit them. As soon as I place figures on my layout adjacent to where the poles will be, I will probably buy a set (or two) of the new Rapido prewired poles.
If you string telephone poles, consider EZ Line, and; remember – You can cut off telephone pole cross arms so there is only one remaining cross arm = less to wire. You Tube also has quite a few videos about modeling telephone & utility poles & transformers.
The LION not only strung real wire, but it was LIVE. I took a piece of zip cord, stripped it open and used one strand for each conductor. Since I made my own poles the insulators were made of small seed beads held in place by a pin around which I could wrap the wire. At each end of the run one of the wires was used as the guy wire to “stabilize” the run, not because it was needed but because it was prototypical and it allowed me to bring current to the lines.
LEDs were placed inside of cup washers and modeling clay was used to shape the lamp fixture and insulate the leads. The leads from the LEDs became the brackets that held the lamp. There needs to be a resistor in the circuit, and that was mounted on the pole and painted black to resemble a transformer and finally, the lamps marked the locations of the uncoupling magnets so that the 1:1 operator knew where it was and the 1:87 crewman could see what he was doing.
AND if some visitor touched the wires together, they would throw a very prototypical spark!
Here is the image of the poles on my former layout. Since it is hosted on Tripod, I cannot hot-link to the photo, and as an old photo, I am not sure where on my hard drives it lives, since that was four computers and two servers ago.
Since I will be only looking at your layout, I say wire 'em all! I love the look of wired poles.
However, since I have to work on mine, I think I’ll skip it! [:P]
Been there, done that, quit it.
Bob
Riding Conway Scenic Railroad, here in NH: Noticed the 2-wire telegraph poles which paralleled the old [ B&M, I think ] main to Quebec. Many poles were set in the side of steep, downhill embankments. Their tops were even with or below coach windows and some were even lower than rails! This is an almost-never modeled scenic detail on layouts but could be used prototypically ; would lower poles w/ wires to less of a target for 0-5-0s. My 2 cents …papasmurf
Decided to fake it. Have some of the poles up, it would be a nightmare to wire. thanks for the input
This is one of the things that still bugs me. When I get to the stage where I am putting in poles, what will I do? To wire, or not to wire. That is the question.
I’ve always thought that poles without wire look so wrong that they should not even be modeled if the wire is not an option. Of course there are many issues with wiring poles on the layout, some of which make the wired poles really undesirable, but poles without wire… I don’t like the look. Maybe if modeling a crew installing poles for a new line?
I’m going to have to plan to locate poles where wire will be less of a problem, where they are less likely to be snagged on anything attached to the 0-5-0 switchers.
Spiders seem to really like my layout. I would think wires on the poles would be really hard to clean.
Dennis San Fernando Valley CA.
I’ve looked at this post a couple times now trying to figure out which way it was going to go. It appears it could be a nice detailing addition but could prove to be a maintenance headache in the future. I looked at my own layout and came to the conclusion that wholesale pole wiring would be a monstrosity and nightmare. The addition of a few selected bare poles would be worth adding but I think it would be the last detail installed after everything else was completed and running properly. I have a mountain section that could accept some poles with wire that might prove to be a worthwhile addition, but poles and wire on my entire layout, I am going to vote no.
-Paul
I agree with others who state not worth the effort. I did a stretch as a trial, within a few weeks, I had hit the “wires” with a tool or my elbow while fixing something, down they came. This happened again and the third time, all the wires came down.
Bob