West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I don't think the ORR ever told the WSR to close; it was a voluntary decision to do so, in order to carry out recommended work, including improving record keeping. Let's not give any impression that the WSR had become dangerous.

 

It's done to help the engineers find them.

 

It may be better to have them on the side away from the line, however, the crossarms are always at 90 degrees to the rails.
As the wires run parallel to the tracks with wires running either side of the pole.

 

Ah, you misunderstood me - I mean the telegraph lines, not the railway line.

 

Railway ones were carrying the telegraph, telephone & of course the wiring for the block instruments as well as some sort of DC power supply, presumably for the instruments.

There is a particular layout so I suppose that a convention as to where the crossarms go was essential

 

I'll try to explain what I meant a bit better.

The cross-arms should be mounted on the side of the pole on the opposite side to the highest-tensioned span, so that the tension in the lines pulls the cross-arms into their grooves, not out of them. If you have a termination pole, obviously, there is only a span on one side, so the cross-arms will be mounted on the side of the pole that is away from the lines. If you have some wires terminating, then (if the cross-arms are all on one side) they will be on the side of the pole that has fewer wires.

 

Thanks Mike, it was the term point that threw me and that is why I asked about the arm dressing. The Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society doesn't mention railway poles as far as I can tell. Ken

 

Having put up 18' lights to a mammoth 56' stout I have never dressed arms to match your description. Each arm is bolted with a substantial long bolt and nut and 2 flat rectangular washers and I find it extremely unlikely that the arms would be pulled into the slots any further than they were originally bolted up to. The only reliable way of using telegraph poles to navigate is by seeing how the connections to the poles from dropwires increases. This is likely then the direction towards the DP (distribution Point), Pillar or Cabinet as this will eventually lead towards the exchange. Sadly this discussion is 40 years too late as pillars have gone, cabinets have become remote consentrators is some cases and the vast majority of leadins are UG (underground). When I managed BT Bristol Area in the late 80s we undertook many, many hours on Uplift where much of the old open wires and early dropwires were completely eliminated. I am quite pleased that when the ring type DP outside my hosed failed a pole test a Polecat arrived 6 days later and replaced like with like so I am still connected with a dropwire number 3, single span to the DP. Ken

 

Many years ago when I was on a PTS/PICOW course the examiner asked "how do you know which is the up direction of the line?" I answered "the mile posts are always located on the up side" I also added "on the telegraph poles the cross arms are always mounted on the up side of the pole". He said correct, but telegraph poles are now becoming rare and your showing your age.

 

According to my copy of BTC Pole Line Construction from the 195o's Arms are to be fitted on the UP side of the pole. Except when the pull of the wires at a terminal pole say otherwise.

 

I believe I have a cassette tape (not DVD type) which was a recording of a BBC radio programme. I believe it was BBC Bristol that aired it. As with many things that you have had for years it become more difficult to know exactly where they might now be. The programme homed in on unusual interest folk. One was a lady who said there really were fairies at the bottom of her garden - she named them.
Another topic, pertinent to the thread (at present), was a gentleman who was an afficionado of telegraph poles. From my memory, he asked, and got, a new pole sited in his front garden. This was something he was interested in since childhood and had a childish name for the poles.

 

Do GWR locos have to work at 25" or is it just customary?

 

It can be altered but, as a non-engineer, I am not sure how quickly or easily.

Steven

 

Likewise the other way round but again, no idea how easy it is.

 

There are many uses for redundant telegraph poles and crossbars

 

On vacuum braked GW locos the brake cylinder is sized to exert the necessary brake force based on 25 inches of vacuum. If the system is reset to work at 21 inches the brake force exerted by the cylinder is substantially less. I would not fancy working a heavy loose-coupled train with a GW loco on which the brake had been de-rated in this way. This would be much less of an issue on a steam-braked loco of course.

Andy

 

Mainly customary. There is a reduction in loco brake power but, unless you are working unfitted trains or are in the habit of making full and heavy brake applications, it should not present a problem.

 

West Somerset Railway - Then, Then and Now

Crowcombe 1900, 1950, 2017

And also worth remembering where things were in 1972

John Allsop Collection / NRM / Robin White / Nick Jones

 

Correct.........

 

The last, smaller, pic was taken by Alan Turner (and subject to the Creative Commons licence). Look closely and you'll see there is something approaching...

Steve