Utility Lines??

On my previous layout, I never got around to a level of detail that would incorporate utility poles and and wires. What do most of you do about such things? Ignore them compeletely? Model the poles and forget about the wires? Go for the whole thing? And if the last, what do you use for the wire?

It doesn't seem to me that an isolated single track mainline from earlier times is going to look right without an entourage of utility poles carrying a bunch of open wire on glass insulators. But the thought of stringing all that wire is a bit daunting. And imagining keeping it intact with hands reaching across the layout for various things is downright frightening.

Is there an easy answer? Or is this a case where you just "bite the bullet and do it?"

Reply to
Norman Morgan
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Norman=A0Morgan wrote: On my previous layout, I never got around to a level of detail that would incorporate utility poles and and wires. What do most of you do about such things? Ignore them completely? Model the poles and forget about the wires? Go for the whole thing? And if the last, what do you use for the wire?

---------------------------------------------------- On a previous N scale layout, I had poles and wires (thread) adjacent to the tracks but it didn't prove to be a good idea. No one really noticed the "wires" and it sure wasn't conducive to cleaning the track and other maintenance. On my present railroad, I have utility poles only in a residential neighborhood and none adjacent to the tracks or on the roads. I feel that I have enough detail without the utility poles.

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Reply to
Bill

You didn't specify scale - it makes a difference. For example, I'm in N.

I'd put in the poles and skip the wires for several reasons.

In N scale, any kind of thread or wire to represent the phone or electrical lines that is strong enough to handle track cleaning is so oversized that it destroys the illusion. In addition, there is nothing that you can use that will give you the prototypical "sag" between poles, and the _lack_ of that sag is a dead giveaway that screams "FAKE!!".

I strung several of the Atlas poles (12 wire) once to see (a) if it could be done, and b) was it worth the effort.

I used black 10/0 fly tying thread, an extremely fine and fuzz-free material. It took me quite a while to do the 3 or 4 poles in the demo set, mounted on white plastic. I was quite proud of them... then I put them on the layout.

From 18 inches away, I couldn't see the thread against the layout background.

Oh, well... nevermind.

Reply to
Joe Ellis

I did a 3 foot HO scale test with 5 or 6 poles. I used a pale green thread to simulate the wire that had the insulation dried out and cracked off and the copper had oxidized. I worked from the inside out and bottom to top, doing the oposite side from me first. The hardest part was getting the tension on all the 'wires' the same. I did one insulator row per night while I was watching Carson's monolog. That is why I don't remember if it was 5 or

6 poles. I tied off the thread on the first insulator and just looped it around the next and used a touch of ACC, and went from there, loop and glue. Then I tied it off on the last insulator and glued it.

Now, for a test it was good. I d> On my previous layout, I never got around to a level of detail that

Reply to
Frank A. Rosenbaum

I did that once with magnet wire. Worked pretty well for a while until the dust bunnies got to it. My technique was to put a spacer between the poles that the wire went over to equalize the lengths of the wires (removed the spacers afterwords) between the polse. After I got done, I put some current through the wire to warm it up til the wires sagged normally (they got red in color from this). Also, put the poles on the farside of the track and far enough back so that yo won't be hitting them when working on the track. Most installations of wires were at the edge of the road's right of way so that an accident had a good probablity of not tearing down the poles.

-- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

Reply to
Bob May

I've used a nylon quilting thread made by Coats & Clark from my local friendly sewing store for background utility lines and wire fencing on my N-scale layout. The diameter is .004, which is very thin (it comes in thicker sizes, too), and it doesn't fray but holds well with glue. Although it is labeled "transparent nylon," it does have a darkish sheen that picks up light quite nicely. A 300 yard spool was about a buck and a half.

Reply to
G. Carlson

I remember seeing some stuff sold by a company at the last train show in Virginia Beach (would have been last September) that looked correct for sizing (HO scale was their demo) and was strechy; ie you could lean on it and not break it.

Can't remember the name of the company though.

Reply to
Rick Lull

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