Can someone smarter than me tell the diameter and heighy (above ground) for 1/35th telephone poles ? Also,when to put single or double cross pieces for wires. Once again,I’m stumped.
Try 34 feet for the height above ground. I would venture that the poles are around 18" diameter.
i can’t suggest anything on the placement of the crosss members.
i can suggest you look at photos of the area you are trying to depict for a better idea of those poles there. There can be quite a bit of variation in details of construction.
One very important thing is where, when, and what are you trying to depict? Are these power poles, telephone poles, or telegraph poles? They all are different in their applications and time period. US, West European, Eastern European, Russian, Far East, or Pacific? They are all different. Give a clue on what you want to do for a dio so you get the proper look. I can look at my copy of the Lineman’s and Cableman’s Handbook for US/ Canadian installations.
Late WWii,in Germany,toward last line of defence,forest area,road lined with land mines.German APC on path to crossroad. Hope to make diaorama clost to this.
Quite a bit of variety there. You could see a very basic wooden pole, metal framework types, or even tapered types (concrete or metal tube?) depending upon the area. A main route between two major cities or a side road in the forest between some small villages.
That’s things I never even trought of.I just thought a simple wood pole ?
I can see what I would like to have in my mind,but what it turns out to be ?? My first time at a diaorama.
Thanks for the input,see it in a different light now.Food for thought.
There are several items out on the market that will work for you. Tamiya, Italeri, and Miniart all make stuff that can fit your needs. Or look into model railroad stuff for the larger gauges to find something that fits your fancy.
There arequite a few companies make AM telephone poles. RB models do some which include metyalparts for the inulators.
http://www.rbmodel.com/index.php?action=products&cat=c_bm&sub=35A
In a more isolated rural setting in Germany, where not many lines are being fed/carried, poles are gonna be the simple type like in these photos
stickpusher,you hit it dead on.Tha’t what I’m looking for.Been trying didderent size dowel rods,getting close? Haven’t figured out what to use for insulators yet.
Thanks
PS
Your photos are sweet.
You’re welcome… I like doing image searches…
for the insulators you could try using bits of sprue or styrene rod cut and filed to shape. Or maybe make some from sculpey… or check out beads in a craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels… the arms for the insulators are easily made from wire of the proper gauge…
As a guess, German poles are going to be 300 to 350mm diameter and about 10m above ground. Scaled down, that’s 10mm x 285mm, or 3/8" x 11 1/4" (you could get away with skinnier and a bit shorter, like as not).
Electricity has some physics associated with it. The wires need to be a xertain spacing apart (which is related to the voltage & amperage being delivered). European practice is to use vertical separation. North American practice is to use horizontal separation using a cross bar. In north America, often a pole will carry a regional supply line and a local service one as well. The higher voltage regional wires go up higher on their own cross bar, with the local service below. The poles get taller to vertically separate the two services
Phone lines are much simpler. Phone lines “work” in pairs, and the paired conductors are twisted upon themselves to make a single cable. These are hung from the pole 15 or 20 feet above the ground.
Telegraph lines are whole ‘nuther ball game. It’s not uncommon to see 15-20 cables per crossbar, and 2 or 3 crossbars per pole. The poles are short, too, only 15-20’ AGL.
The insulators on German poles in those days were usually made out of white porcelain and if I remember correctly, the sides of the insulators were straight up and down rather than tapered or dome-shaped, like many insulators in the United States.
Again,Thanks for everyone’s help.Think I’ve got the poles worked out.Now I need to find something for the insulators.I would rather scratch build them.More of a challange to it.Looked at all the local stores for “beads” but nothing close to what I need.I’ll find something when I least expect it.
Everyone has been a big help.
Research the writings of Alexander Graham Bellski- he was the first telephone pole.[:D]
I would take some sprue and taper it, then drill the bottom of it for a short bent wire hanger driven into the pole. Like this:
Or like this: