Contributer's Photos - 2006
2007 Images Here
2005 Archive Here
This section is for other collectors to have their out and about photos displayed and all are welcome.
Another Fine Side Knob
Hugh Burrows spotted what appears to be a Taylor Tunnicliff Side Knob on the side of a building Kendal, complete with a ceramic lid.
It appears to be wired up but is probably just being used as a convienient anchor point
A Scottish Sojourn
These scrap power poles are packed with Shackles. Most are of the Bullers 10810 style and the rest regular examples.
These carefully stacked spars are located on the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, ready for re-use on this preserved lines by their S&T department.
Chimney at the Industrial Museum, Ayrshire
A Pair is always more desirable and what a lovely pair
LH Image - Sinclair Aitkens at Prestwick
RH Image - Shackles on the side of an old disused Telephone exchange
Reds!
LH image - Not only a tapered grooved line insulator but a RED one!
RH image - A RED Pothead with a RED ceramic lid, hubba hubba!
A cracking display of insulators in use on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, a credit to the hard work put in by the Signal & Telegraph department
A up, that's a funny looking pole
The A frame style of Telegraph poles is / was quite commonly used in Scotland, usually where a pole route took a minor change of direction.
A Plethora of Potheads
This shot was taken just to show the vast array of Pothead Insulators. The spars are eight holes wide, a rarity in it self and the spindles are all double U's each capable of taking two insulators. A potential total 48 Insulators!
A vertical spacing brace is attached at each end of the spars, just as an extra precaution against movement
A fine array of double groove Pothead insulators, all with ceramic lids.
Side Knobs!
Side Knobs still in use, well sort off.
Gene Kingsley spotted these high up (4 storeys) on building recently and managed to obtain a highly zoomed photo
What does this tell us... Side Knobs, they are still out there, waiting to be found, so get out there and find them!
A Life of Grime?
Nigel Callaghan kindly sent me this image of a pair of extremely grimy Standard Cordeaux's still extant inside a disused tunnel.
Sadly it's not clear which tunnel!
Cambridgeshire Curosities
This rare survivor is situated near Cambridge in a disused station yard.
As can been seen, 5 Langdons remain amongst many standard Cordeauxs' and Potheads. The 2nd from top left Langdon has seperated at the bottom wire groove and its sheds rest upon the spar.
The Landgon situated far right, 3rd spar down is of the smaller variety and appears to be intact
On the adjacent station building can be seen what, at first glance, appears to be a pair of normal double groove Telenduron Potheads, but wait, those grooves seem very close together and near the top, not like a regular double groover at all!
Thanks to Gene Kingsley for these images
Lost and Found
Hugh Burrow has sent me a photo of 2 insulators he spotted in his local area.
They appear to be a similar to the ones I photographed in January, see Insulators in Use 2006, January except they have no lids, a style I have recently acquired but not yet documented.
Lincolnshire Langdons
Gene Kingsley has sent me a picture of a pair of lovely Langdons, marked Bullers Ltd London. One appears to be still in use while the other has had its wire tied off to the bracket.
A Pole in Pickering
Paul Kirkup has kindly sent me images of two busy and interesting poles plus a demonstration pole on a preserved railway.
This electricity distribution pole at Pickering contains some unusual line insulators and shackle arrangements. The middle large brown insulator has what appears to be pattern number on the top flange and is possibly grooved.
This pole appears to have had several take off points added over time, each with its own fixing solution. The bottom power line has no less than 6 connections, this is probably the 'Common' wire.
Also in view is the attractive aluminium finial.
A Further Pickering Pole
This demonstration pole is situated at the North York Moors Railway terminus at Pickering
A nearby notice describes the pole as been constructed from mostly original parts to represent a typical North Eastern Railway example with alternate long and short cross arms, a feature of most early telegraph installations, and an additional insulator on the saddle or top pole
A full transcript of the wording can be found on the NYMR Pickering Pole page
A Birds Eye View
This telephone distribution in Scalby near Scarborough looks rather under used with only 9 wires connected out of a total of 26 available connection points.
Visible right in the middle of the spars is small empty nest hence the title 'A Birds Eye View'
An English Insulator Abroad
John Luyer from Western Australia kindly sent me this image of a Standard Cordeaux impressed Bullers Ltd London. Note the red dust / sand blown inside the shed.
Use this link to visit John's site and in particular his insulator page
Art? A Fine compilation
Russell Firth has sent me many images of his collection so, for now, to save space I have grouped them all together in one single image
Note the many styles shown including an Oil Bath, corrugated examples, brown cream and white varieties, shackles, potheads, Langdons and off course Reds
Gene Kingsley - An ongoing contribution
Gene has very kindly been supplying me many images of his recently found insulators and some insulators still in situ from his local area - Thank You Gene
This pole of standard size Terminators was still standing lineside on the 20th June 2006 when Gene snapped a quick shot for me. As can be seen, the wires have been cut, crudely, therefore fortunately retaining some good examples of wire termination
28th May and another packed pole still standing. This pole is worthy of mention for its double sided top spar and a good mixture of standard Terminators and Potheads. Also visible through the wires and spars are two wire straining brackets complete with straining wire. These brackets were used to distance the straining wire from the pole in a particular direction to ensure clearance for the many telegraph wires.
On a similar theme and the same date, another termination pole, this time 100% double sided. Apart from the double and single grooved potheads, sadly most are broken, this pole has 2 additional extras, what appears to bird boxes?
Unlike the previous image, no extra wire strain arms have been used, the straining wires instead, cris cross the pole. Also clearly visible are the extra spar stiffening brackets. These brackets hinder insulator collection on fallen poles no end as the demolition men never remove the spars of the poles and you can guarantee the one insulator you want will not unscrew and you cannot take the spar with you!
