Please help identify the maker of these telegraph poles

[Northwoods Flyer]

I'd like to know who the maker is of this telegraph pole.

 

It feels like it should be an American Flyer piece, but I have seen it attributed to other manufacturers.  I've seen it on eBay with a white standard and the red cross arm.

 

I have four of them.

 

 It reminds me of the telegraph pole that was a part of the Pre War American Flyer #240 equipment set.

 

 The green color of the standards is identical, and the red of the cross arms is also very close. (I didn't realize the photo was fuzzy until I posted it.)

 

 

The punchings of the holes on the cross bars are also the same size.  

 

 

I don't recall seeing this telegraph pole in any of the American Flyer catalogs, and the round base and pole being made out of the same stock makes me think that it isn't a Flyer accessory.  I don't remember seeing any other Flyer accessory made this way.

 

Please let me know who made these, and if possible post a photo or a scan of the manufacturer's catalog as documentation.

 

Thanks,

 

Enjoying the Worlds Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

 

[Nationwidelines]

Northwoods,

 

I do know that they are not American Flyer.  The wire post and circular wire base is the key to who made these posts and similar accessories with the same type of post and base.  I seem to recall that they were made by an off brand maker and not one of the big train manufacturers; however, the manufacturer's name escapes me. 

 

You may try searching the "Who done it" section of the TCA Quarterly and try their on-line back issues that are available to TCA members.

 

NWL

[overall]

I notice that they have holes in them. What is that for?

George

[Northwoods Flyer]

I think that the intention is to simulate insulators on the telegraph/telephone poles.

 

I think the holes are there so that some form of wire or string can actually be strung from pole to pole through the holes.  I have seen some boxed sets of poles (I don't remember the manufacturer - could be Lionel) that state that there is an elastic cord included with the poles.  I can only imagine what that must be like if some Gulliver sized hand catches one of the lines and uproots the entire communication system.  I've seen some photos in Flyer catalogs that show the poles strung with a cable of some sort,  The illustration of "Billy and his Colonial City" in the 1928 American Flyer catalog show the telegraph poles strung this way.

[Penny Trains]

Ives had something very similar to these.  Lionel later released them in the "Ives Treasure Chest" set during the transition.  However those poles had square stamped metal bases.  Ives or Bing would be my guess.

Becky

[Nationwidelines]

Northwoods,

 

I recently acquired a copy of reprinted advertisements of the T. Eaton Company catalogs that featured prewar trains.  The reprint was done by a noted train collector in 2002 and it shows an accessory set on one page and the collector notes "A Fergusson Signal Accessory set is shown and was probably sold by Hafner".  Although the accessory set shown does not show the telegraph pole, it shows several signals on the round wire base like your telegraph poles.  I believe that these Fergusson signals may have been sold by both Hafner and Ives, but I really am not sure.

 

NWL

[Northwoods Flyer]

Thanks folks for the input.  I think your conclusion is correct NWL.

I see these accessories with the wire standards and bases and I have often wondered who manufactured them.  I wonder what other things Fergusson produced for trains.

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

 

[teledoc]

I finally discovered who made these telephone/telegraph poles, after a lot of searching.  They date to the 1920's and were made by A.R. Fergusson Mfg. Co., Buffalo, N.Y..  (No longer in business!!)  You can see many other items produced by them, for use in O gauge railroading at the following website.

http://www.binnsroad.co.uk/railways/fergusson/index.html

The webpage mentions the TCA Quarterly, Vol. 35, Issue 4, page 6, that may shed some light on these accessories.

[Northwoods Flyer]

teldoc,

Thanks for doing the research and for posting the link.  I appreciate knowing the company that manufactured the items in my collection and a  bit of the history.  As I said, I see pieces like this all the time on ebay and now its good to know who made them.

Thanks again,

Northwoods Flyer

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby