What's New on the PRR Panhandle Division?

[G3750]

George, I hope you're not sorry you don't have more wire protruding.

Roy, I'm not sure I'm following you. What do you mean?

George

[Roy]

I just noticed that none of the poles you pictured have light fixtures. So, none have any wire protruding. Me so unobservant.

[jlong]

The poles look good, George. The attention to detail especially. Any plans to string them? Or did I miss something somewhere in this thread.

[G3750]

I just noticed that none of the poles you pictured have light fixtures. So, none have any wire protruding. Me so unobservant.

Those are coming, Roy. I just haven't gotten to them yet. My plan is to finish all remaining non-lit poles first, then tackle the 10 lighted ones. Right now I am preoccupied with the poles requiring multiple transformers.

George

[G3750]

The poles look good, George. The attention to detail especially. Any plans to string them? Or did I miss something somewhere in this thread.

Oh sure. Just play to my OCD why don't ya?

Seriously, thank you.

Yes, at some point prior to putting the module on the layout, they might get strung with E-Z Wire. For now, no.

George

[jlong]

Well if you string them, you can power lamps off that. Heck, you could hook them to an electric fence charger to keep cats off the module.

[G3750]

Well if you string them, you can power lamps off that. Heck, you could hook them to an electric fence transformer to keep cats off the module.

The lights / light poles will be powered individually. No current to run in the wires themselves. Stringing will be for effect only.

The cats? Nah, I couldn't do that to them. They're part of the family. Besides, they are the postwar conventional fans...

George

[G3750]

Updated 2/4/2014:

Here are some more poles I finished last night. These are the final number of the single cross-arm, single transformer, single 3-wire standoff variety (5B).

Telephone_PolesW_07_.JPG (37.39 KiB) Viewed 3505 times

Here is my one and only 2 transformer model.

Telephone_PolesW_06_.JPG (33.13 KiB) Viewed 3506 times

Next up is a 3-transformer model and all the lighted poles. So far, I have completed 17 of 28 for the City of Weirton module.

George

[jlong]

Lookin good, George. With all that attention to detail, they deserve to be strung. You can do it.

[G3750]

Lookin good, George. With all that attention to detail, they deserve to be strung. You can do it.

Thank you! We'll see John. We'll see. Sequencing of all the assembly steps and the amount of time required to string them will be important. But I agree that they would look pretty good strung with wires.

Speaking of wiring, have any of you guys seen Fred Lagno's book?

http://www.amazon.com/Changes-Model-Rai ... 057807818X

His modeling and photography is absolutely stunning, but his telephone wire work will blow you away.

He presented a clinic last April at the Pittsburgh Model Railroad Jamboree (a Division 2 NMRA chapter event). Wow is about all I can say.

George

[Roy]

What material is good, for model wiring? Even 40 ga. magnet wire (as use in Z gauge motors) - annealed - will not "hang" in a prototypical curve. Perhaps you have to use something like steel music wire, and bend it to shape. At least, that would provide enough strength to resist kinking, when the wire suffers an accidental hit.

[G3750]

What material is good, for model wiring? Even 40 ga. magnet wire (as use in Z gauge motors) - annealed - will not "hang" in a prototypical curve. Perhaps you have to use something like steel music wire, and bend it to shape. At least, that would provide enough strength to resist kinking, when the wire suffers an accidental hit.

Roy, I've heard about something called E-ZWire. I've never used it, but it seems to be fairly popular.

George

[G3750]

Updated 2/12/2014:

Over the past few days I attempted to assemble a couple of lighted poles. A friend predicted that I would have more trouble by having the light arm on the same side as the slot for the wiring. I didn't think it would be a problem, but I was wrong. So I've been pondering a possible solution. As I originally envisioned the poles, all the cross-arms would be on the same side of pole for a particular side of a street.

But as I thought through the problem, I kept going back to the photographs of the prototypes. Unlike what I built, all poles in the photos have double the number of cross-arms. Cross-arms are paired; 1 on each side of the pole. And that is the answer to my problem. If I double the number of cross-arms on the lighted poles, then there is no cross-arm orientation to worry about. I can simply put the light arm on the opposite side of the pole from the wiring slot, drill the arm hole all the way through, assemble, and apply putty to hide the holes.

Since the Weaver poles come with an abundance of cross-arms, we should be good to go.

George

[G3750]

Updated 2/13/2014:

• We got slammed with a snowstorm last night and up to this point. We have about 8" on the ground. I was out with the snowblower. Work is closed, schools are closed, and a winter emergency is in effect. Another 1-3 inches of snow is expected tonight. Right now we are getting a snow / sleet / rain mix.
• Yesterday a package arrived from Weaver Models! In it was another set of 15 painted, unassembled 9" utility poles (in case I can't pull off my modifications to the existing poles). Also in the package was 2 oz. of paint for touch-ups to the poles, and an unassembled, unpainted Ultra Line (#2900) "Northeast" caboose. This caboose will have its 4 extra windows covered up and painted Weirton Steel green.
• On the painting schedule (Saturday) are more sidewalks (picked up the paint a couple of days ago) and the aforementioned caboose.
• I plan to use the snow day (and there may be one tomorrow as well) to take a shot at the lighted telephone poles and multiple cross-arms.

That's the latest from the snow-bound greater Harrisburg area.

George

[G3750]

Updated 2/17/2014:

• On Saturday night I visited my friend with the paint booth. Four (4) more sidewalks for Weirton were finished (NOTE to self: prime the wood next time. Otherwise it will just suck up paint and take way more time.) Also got 5 more light pole arms painted.
• Last night I spent some time assembling lighted telephone poles. I'm still learning and I may redo a few of them. I've still got 6 to go. Photos below:

Here's the "forest".

Telephone_PolesW_09_.JPG (38.83 KiB) Viewed 3348 times

And here are the lighted ones. I'm going to have to try again on this shot - it's not very sharp.

Telephone_PolesW_08_.JPG (39.1 KiB) Viewed 3348 times

George