I was posting some pictures of Sherton Abbas on the "O gauge Guild" forum  https://www.gauge0guild.com/, where it was pointed out that my poor signalman had no means of communicating with the rest of the world.  This situation obviously had to be rectified by the addition of some telegraph paraphernalia!  I spent some time researching the subject, but as is so often the case in this hobby, the more I read the more questions I needed answering:-)  During my search I came across a number of interesting sites including this one http://www.telegraphpoleappreciationsociety.org/ 

For what its worth, I feel that any site with a "Pole of the Month" has to be worth a read!

One of the O gauge guild members "Jim Snowdon" is a font of information about the subject and has given permission for an article he wrote to be posted on the forum. Railways and Overhead Pole Routes - with pictures.pdf

The article goes a long way in helping to demystify the world of Telegraph poles, with an emphasis from a modelling point of view and I thoroughly recommend anyone interested in the subject giving it a read!

I decided to use the Peco poles https://peco-uk.com/products/telegraph-poles-pack-of-4 as a starting point, hoping to customise them into something more appropriate for an early 20th century Great Western branch line:-)

Photographs of prototype poles around the turn of the last Century appear to only have had two insulators per arm and the arms are also of two different lengths and staggered.  This was something I was keen to represent on my layout,  so some surgery of the Peco arms was required!

Peco Arms  as supplied in the kit

The arms were cut to the appropriate length and then drilled with 0.5mm holes before insulator supports at he correct spacing could be fitted using Slater's Plastikard micro rod.

Arms after modification on right side of image

The Peco poles have provision for fitting 3 arms into rebates cut into the poles, so depending on the number of arms that need fitting to the modelled poles, either some filler or additional rebates will be needed.

Example of modified pole

The next thing to be considered were the insulators, which appear to come in two main types.  The majority of insulators enable the supported wire to pass through it and then run on to the next post down the line, however where wires are terminating at a post, or building a different type of insulator was used.  These are known as Pothead insulators and have a distinctive flat top rather than the conical shape of conventional insulators.  Pot head insulators are also mounted on "J hangers" below the post arm which help to minimise any twisting of the arms.  I was keen to model these features, on my model poles.

The Peco kit contains quite nice representations of conventional conical topped insulators, so these were fitted onto poles where the wires were not terminating.

Poles with conventional insulators.

The pole adjacent to the signal box would have been fitted Pothead insulators mounted on "J hangers" for any wires that would terminate at the signal box, insulated cables would then have been used to carry current from these insulators, down the pole and into the signal box.  Telephone wires would have continued from this pole to the Goods Shed and Station building, so on these arms conventional insulators would have been employed.

To represent the "J hangers" I used some 0.5mm brass wire, bent into shape using some round nosed pliers and fitted into pre-drilled holes of the correct spacing into the arms.

J hangers mounted into arms

I simulated the flat top appearance of the pothead insulators by heating a screw driver blade in a flame and then pressing onto the top of a standard Peco insulator.  The thermoplastic distorts quite easily and can be pressed into a more convincing shape, most of the time :-)

Signal box pole fitted with pothead insulators on three of the arms and conventional insulators on one arm.

The poles were painted with enamel paint, first with a dark brown and then dry brushed with gun metal to simulate weathered wood.  Once the poles had dried they were fitted onto the layout by drilling holes and then held in position using 5 minute epoxy resin.

Example pole 

Once all the poles had been installed in their positions on the layout, the "fun" could begin adding the telegraph wires.  I used E Z elastic thread https://www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk/brands/EZ-Line/EZ-Line-Rope  to simulate the wires, attached to the insulators with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue applied with a cock tail stick.

Fortunately I only need 3 poles on Sherton Abbas and with the addition of some insulators mounted on J hanger brackets where the wires terminate on buildings, the telegraph/telephone system is now complete.

Images of the completed poles on the layout

The signalman at Sherton Abbas is delighted with this new addition,  he's no longer startled by the arrival of the 8.17 am and spilling his tea is a thing of the past!:-)

The 8.17 am train arriving at Sherton Abbas

Thanks again to Jim Snowdon for his excellent article and for allowing me to publish it on the forum.  Its a subject that I knew very little about before starting this project, but I've enjoyed finding out what was used and why so much that I might even join the Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society:-)

Sherton Abbas will be appearing at Railex later this month http://www.railex.org.uk/ hopefully I'll see some of you there.

Best wishes

Dave