Pylon King

6 hours ago, RLWP said:

Looks like I need to find an OS map

Thanks Paul

 

Richard

Latest build based on the PL1 D30 tower in Westwood Kent. 

14 minutes ago, RLWP said:

 

Thank you

 

There do seem to be other platforms lower down, and this is a very tall tower!

 

Richard

Possibly these were installed to use as work stations when repairs/upgrades are required.

38 minutes ago, RLWP said:

 

In my picture:

 

 

What is the solid black bit towards the top of the left hand tower? Is it a platform or some sort of shear panel?

 

Richard

Probably a platform to enable work & equipment storage when required.

Another part of the 1:76 scale collection features these Oxford Diecast Power Grid utility vehicles which are used  for running and maintaining British power lines and substations. The National Grid Transit van is due for release later this year. 

1 hour ago, pharrc20 said:

Do you work starting with the square base section as shown glued to the four main legs then use smaller square section formers for want of a better description to keep the right shape as you go up the tower?

I am used to using Plastruct and Evergreen when doing my quarry buildings for my kit bashed Walthers buildings for my Speedlow layout and other wagon projects. Are there any common sizes to use for the main legs the primary and secondary cross bracing?

Cheers Paul

I always start with a flat 2mm thick base , attach the corners , then the top horizontal and any other girders . This is placed over the template and Magic tape applied to keep the structure from moving . Once the front and back  are completed the side base sections are added (4mm shorter in width to form the square . The process is then repeated left and right , at various stages it’s worth detaching the model from the template and place over your cutting mat to check and maintain the towers symmetry. Once I’m happy that section is completed then the “X” girders are welded together. 

Regarding girder sizes - for the PL1 towers each corner comprises of Evergreen 2mm girders with Plastruct 1.2mm girders attached inside to add stability. The majority of the tower girders are again made from Plastruct 1.2mm “L” beams.       All the best, Paul.

Approximately 45 feet in height this 33kV terminal/sealing end tower is probably nearly eighty years old.

4 hours ago, pharrc20 said:

I always thought that the Hornby kit was a deviation tower D30 but modelled with suspension insulators like a D2 tower. And scaled down accordingly. Great to see the proper scaled models wow wish I could build them like that.

Cheers Paul

Your Hornby adaptations show great observation/modelling skills, these could easily be utilised in recreating scale model versions .Using the engineers drawings as templates which are then brought up to scale I’ve found Plastruct/Evergreen Plastics work well . Starting with the front/back facings, girders are cut in groups of four sets for each side . Once completed the left/right sides are built up from the attached front/back facings. 

 It takes time and rather a lot of fine tuning but building them really gives a structural insight to these towers.

4 hours ago, pharrc20 said:

I always thought that the Hornby kit was a deviation tower D30 but modelled with suspension insulators like a D2 tower. And scaled down accordingly. Great to see the proper scaled models wow wish I could build them like that.

Cheers Paul

Probably the reason behind this choice was for stability as the standard tension towers are rather slim . However the Hornby version does possess latticework based around the tension prototype.

1 hour ago, LMS_LNER_SR_GWR_fan2004 said:

You never fail to amaze me . So what is the Hornby model actually representing? Is it some sort of pre-standardisation tower?

 

Best Regards, Matthew

Westwood/Margate  power line.

1 hour ago, LMS_LNER_SR_GWR_fan2004 said:

You never fail to amaze me . So what is the Hornby model actually representing? Is it some sort of pre-standardisation tower?

 

Best Regards, Matthew

The power line running past the factory appears to have PLI deviation/terminal based towers . The tension pylons are a different 1930’s design , more than likely Hornby decided to release a scaled down wide base interpretation . Indeed there are 33kV lines which are approximately 50 feet in height dating from the same period .

On 16/06/2019 at 13:49, LMS_LNER_SR_GWR_fan2004 said:

As always, lovely models. What sizes did you use to build it and can I see a comparison between that and the Hornby model as I am thinking of having both on my new layout.

 

best regards, Matthew 

These are early PL1 & PL1S designs (1928) from the original engineers drawings . Photo L to R - Hornby , PL1S & PL1 towers, all are in 1:76 scale.

On 04/06/2019 at 20:57, pharrc20 said:

Hi, as promised some of the diagram sheets.

 

This PDF contains the three pages for the Milliken Brothers design of PL1 towers that Paul pylonking has built above. Unfortunately a lot of the diagram pages are missing from the book and so I only have D2, D30 and the DT/DT90 - the D60 sheet is missing as are some of the others you will note from the index page.

 

Cheers Paul

EE PL1 Towers Milliken.pdf 351.4 kB · 8 downloads

Thank you Paul (pharrc20) , this information will greatly help in developing future projects.

PL1 in Scotland .

Just set these up to demonstrate both the various standard tower sizes and power ratings. All models in 1:76 scale.

. Left to right- L6 BICC 400kV, L3 275kV, PL1 132kV, PL1S 132kV.

Another project completed - the PL1 . Along with the PL1S these were some of the very first CEGB approved grid towers, first appearing back in 1928. B&W photo from the Science and Industry Museum archives.

L3 tower - New telecommunication antennas just built and installed . There are one or two model companies manufacturing these but choice is rather limited.

On 29/05/2019 at 06:35, PatB said:

I must say I'm astonished by how well the Hornby pylons scrub up in skilled hands. I assume they're the old Triang kit, and so it's doubly impressive given their ancient toy origins.

First launched by Triang back in 1966 under the Model-Land range , it would have been good if they produced different versions with extra detail. The kits are relatively straight forward to adapt and paint for added realism.

Really Useful Boxes - perfect for long term storage/transportation.

18 hours ago, LMS_LNER_SR_GWR_fan2004 said:

Hi,

 

Does anyone have any drawings of pl16s as they are quite common near me and would like to include one on my layout?

 

best regards, Matthew 

These might be useful.

7 hours ago, 298 said:

Excellent photo & model !))

These kits are also great to adapt and create alternative versions including deviation and terminal towers. 

8 hours ago, pharrc20 said:

I've been looking for ages for diagrams like these for a few years now then all of a sudden they come along. I need to start having a go at bashing the Hornby kits around like you did but got a book and a layout/models to try and do first.

 

Cheers Paul

It’s definitely  worth having a go at scratch building using Plastruct/Evergreen Plastics .The latest model is scratch built from the original drawings featured to achieve both accuracy and realism.

2 hours ago, pharrc20 said:

Excellent work there. I took photos of each of the towers on the wall display though most were duplicated. Are the other drawings on the museum website itself?

 

Cheers Paul

I managed to locate these .

On 03/05/2019 at 22:46, pharrc20 said:

Following on from Pylon King's excellent models of the single circuit PL1b tower I paid a visit to the MOSI Museum of Science and Industry at Manchester the other week to see the Electricity exhibition before it closed. And came across these lovely enlarged tower diagrams for PL1 and PL1bs . Photos of each one taken for the record. It seems these diagrams came from the Science Museum London archives.

Cheers Paul

Great photos Paul !  Along with your information and several engineers drawings from the museum website I’ve managed to build a 1:76 scale version.