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Pylons .


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A couple of shots from my transmission line building days a few decades back:

 

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500Kv quad conductor line between Mt Piper and Black Springs, near Oberon, in the blue Mountains of New South Wales

 

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Helicopter stringing of draw wires on a 330Kv line between Coffs Harbour and Grafton, in New South Wales

 

 

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The view from the top.  75-110m up on these ones. No harness, and no ladder for the first 50m - not even climbing pins on the corners for the first 20m - you hauled yourself bodily up the angles...  It was a cowboy industry even in 1990 when I was a young engineer. 

 

Cheers

 

Scott

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Those look really good, it’s nice to see some other types from around the world. Was there any injuries while stringing these as what you said looks very dangerous and cowboyish?

 

Best regards, Matthew

 

 

Hi Matthew;

 

There were horrific injuries in that industry.

 

I had to take coroner into the forest to the remote tower site where 1 man had fallen 45m to his death - and help carry the body bag to the hearse - an incredibly sobering task for an engineer 6 months out of university - the man was a Spanish gentle giant, who was always friendly to me;  a year or so later, on a project I wasn't on, but same company, a tir-for let go and the free end of a conductor wrapped around the leg of a rigger, and dragged him out of a man cage to his death; that helicopter in the photo above crash landed in fog in Queensland a few years later on a third job and the pilot was killed.  

 

On top of that, there were the non fatal, but life changing injuries - a truck driver crushed his own leg with a 2T concrete block when trying to load it using a hiab truck.  A rigger fell from the top cross arm, and landed across the middle one, saving his life, but giving himself spinal injuries.  Then there were the severed thumbs etc...

 

OH&S was just a joke in 1991.  The crews - mainly Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese, were some of the nicest blokes you could ever meet - and as a green civil engineer, I had the time of my life straight out of university.  Back then, they were allowed to buy two cans of beer each every morning, and drink it for 9am smoko... then climb back up the towers.

 

I hadn't been higher the the 2nd-to-top step of a ladder when I started that job.  Was never asked if I was afraid of heights when I was hired. Never told I had to go out and climb.  They just let you find your own level of comfort.  One day, after about six months, I went out to where there was a crew working tightening bolts up the top of the tower, and began to climb... took me an hour, and I left fingerprints in the steel, but I made it to the top on my first go. (Henrique, the man who died in the fall, was there, and I trusted him to look out for me) That night at the construction camp mess, word was quickly passed around, the grappa was flowing freely congratulating the young "engineero" for making his first climb.

 

Later on - at Oberon - I was climbing up and down towers a dozen times a day to set the sag markers and check using a rifle scope of theodolite head.  It became second nature.  I had a waist belt and lanyard that I could use to hold myself and lean out, but the workers never bothered.  I've shots somewhere of them sitting out on the insulators of the tensions towers, straddling the wires, installing the dog bone dampers... that took nerves.

 

It was good fun for a young buck, and I've never been afraid of heights since!

 

Cheers

 

Scott

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Nice atmospheric pic. Pylons, factory, pub and bus. And what a great pub name - the Hydraulic Crane.

 

G.

 

 

The Pub is so called as it is next to Armstrong's works - Armstrong of course being one of the earliest users of hydraulic power.  His house, Cragside (National Trust) in Northumberland is worth a visit.  It has a hydraulic powered roasting spit!  The pub in later years became very popular with office workers in the new buildings along the bank of the Tyne - my wife included before we moved away from Tyneside.

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  • 1 month later...

Problem with pylons is that they are way too large for most layouts and so would end up dominating the layout.

 

Only the smaller wooden distribution poles can be used on rural layouts without domination.

 

The best place for pylons would be in the distance on backscenes.

 

I have read with great interest all of the above entries on this subject but have gone off on a completely different route regarding these structures. As I have yet to make a start on my track laying I am convinced that a lot of what I do will be trial and error but I have committed to having pylons in the foreground with the confidence that I can position them in such a way that they will blend into the surroundings.

 

Initially I ordered four of Andy Vaughan's standard towers which are superb but then needed to go that one stage further as there are two high ones carrying cables across the river Swale. Actually there are four now but the era that I'm modelling only has two. Things are in progress and hopefully we will come up with something that will look pretty good to say the least. Although still somewhat inexperienced I am learning that now and again in this hobby you just have to take a risk. 

 

Paul C.

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Does anyone know the heights or dimensions for standard L2's, L6's and L12's?

 

I know there are taller and shorter versions of all of these but there is a standard height for each I've heard. Then they go up or down in 3m increments, signified by different letters and numbers.

 

Also the spacing between towers, is there info on this please?

 

Thank you.

Rob

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Does anyone know the heights or dimensions for standard L2's, L6's and L12's?

 

I know there are taller and shorter versions of all of these but there is a standard height for each I've heard. Then they go up or down in 3m increments, signified by different letters and numbers.

 

Also the spacing between towers, is there info on this please?

 

Thank you.

Rob

Regarding the L6 , (BICC) D STD tower height is 164’ 8” , the featured model is in 4mm scale. Spacing distance for these towers tends to be around five per mile.

Hope this info will be useful .

 

Paul.

post-34542-0-06544900-1547389970_thumb.jpeg

Edited by Pylon King
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Does anyone know the heights or dimensions for standard L2's, L6's and L12's?

 

I know there are taller and shorter versions of all of these but there is a standard height for each I've heard. Then they go up or down in 3m increments, signified by different letters and numbers.

 

Also the spacing between towers, is there info on this please?

 

Thank you.

Rob

Standard height for L2 D suspension towers are 41.605m

 

L6 D 50.590m *though at least 4 L6 designs so will vary

 

L12 D 46.500m

 

HTH Paul

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Does anyone know the heights or dimensions for standard L2's, L6's and L12's?

 

I know there are taller and shorter versions of all of these but there is a standard height for each I've heard. Then they go up or down in 3m increments, signified by different letters and numbers.

 

Also the spacing between towers, is there info on this please?

 

Thank you.

Rob

Standard L3 tower.post-34542-0-66268000-1547087303_thumb.jpeg
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I've just had a go at designing a quite accurate scale L2 so I can 3D print a load of them in OO and N. I'm well along with the design but I'm not sure if the very top is more triangular/tent like in shape or almost square/cube like in shape as I've drawn options in the second picture. Anyone know for definite please? Picture proof ultimately if possible?

 

Thank you.

Rob

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post-30092-0-91369300-1547607036_thumb.png

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The top earth peak is quite small on the L2 D towers. I have loads of photos of them just not to hand right now. I have several albums on photobucket under user paulsrailphotos but it isn't letting me link any just at the moment as on phone.

Cheers Paul

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The tower render is looking good let me m know if you want any morw dimensions. I once suggested making 3d printed towers on here and was pooh poohed shot down by the experts saying it couldn't be done so I look forward to seeing how it comes out and might just have to get one to put on display as L2s are my favourite tower design.

Cheers Paul

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The tower render is looking good let me m know if you want any morw dimensions. I once suggested making 3d printed towers on here and was pooh poohed shot down by the experts saying it couldn't be done so I look forward to seeing how it comes out and might just have to get one to put on display as L2s are my favourite tower design.

Cheers Paul

Judging by the quality produced from high quality 3D printing the results should be excellent . Although L2s are quite tall , being so numerous they would be a first class addition for any 1950’s to the present day large layout . Looking forward to seeing the finished results.
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Try this one pretty much head on view http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2010%2001%20Offerton%20and%20Bredbury/DSCF0502.jpg

 

Side angle view

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z231/paulsrailphotos/UK%20Pylons/2010%2003%20Hazel%20Grove/DSCF0974.jpg

 

From the centre line of tower the lower crossarms are 6.096m wide, middle 5.715m and top 5.486m.

 

From the base horizontal line of lower x arm to same line of middle x is 7.489m, middle x arm to top x arm is 7.772m, top x arm to top of earth peak is 2.296m.

 

HTH Paul

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