CTT's telephone pole article

[FJ and G]

Nice little "how-to" piece; one of many good articles in Dec, CTT.

But why use fake wire from Michaels? Why not use real copper-strand wire and have functional wires that power lights to your structures and power accessories?

It's feasible, you know.

[Big_Boy_4005]

My opinion is real wire yes, real power no. Too many opportunities for trouble with real power. Stick to buried lines for power, and remember to call before you dig. [swg]

[FJ and G]

I was thinking low-voltage DC; still asking for trouble?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

I was thinking low-voltage DC; still asking for trouble?

Low voltage DC will be safe. Edison wanted to use DC for transmitting power because it can't kill you instantly & you can pull your hand away. I believe it was Westinghouse who is responsible for the AC power grid.

Tony

[FJ and G]

Tony,

Yes indeed.

Also, I was thinking of actually building a working DC power station, using an HO transformer, repainted silver, and running live DC wires to various industries and stuff. Hey, why not make everything as real and operational as you can get? Why not?

[Anonymous]

Dave:

Go for it!

Tony

[lionelsoni]

DC or AC is safe at toy-train voltages. What is important is low current if you're using scale wire.

Edison famously tried to create the impression that AC was unsafe by staging gruesome AC electrocution of dogs, campaigning for AC to be used for the first electric chair, and trying to substitute "westinghouse" for the new word "electrocute". He hired Tesla and promised him a reward if he could make AC work. When Tesla succeeded, Edison reneged, saying it was all a joke. After Tesla and Westinghouse prevailed over Edison's system, Edison supposedly admitted that he had known all along that AC was superior.

[FJ and G]

Bob,

Speaking of Tesla, have you ever seen a Tesla coil lightning bolt. These would make impressive lighting strikes on a layout. Several people have been killed playing with these, however.

[spankybird]

When I saw the article in CTT about telephone poles, this thought came to me.

Take your common plastic poles


and cut the base off if it



then super glue the roofing nail to the bottom of the pole



Then drill a 1/8th hole in your table for mounting your pole.



Now, this is a nice clean mount.

tom

[Big_Boy_4005]

Tom, I like the look of your modified poles better than those in the article, but then I like a more realistic look than a toy look. Beside, I have a ton of those Lionel poles left over from the mall. The only pole I like better are the old Marx pole. The detail on the crossarms is nice.

[spankybird]

Thanks Elliot,

We also have some of these poles, I belive made by K-line



This will be the before pic, and when we are done, we will post the after pic.

tom

[Big_Boy_4005]

Tom, the K-line pole is the old Marx pole, if I'm not mistaken.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Add a little poison ivy to that pole