What color do YOU paint your lineside poles ??? Having carefully observed the real thing, they are not even close to being brown of any shade. They are more of a light tan / gray / black color (?). Just curious what everyone else has done to try and replicate this color combination.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Mark,
I have seen poles that were brown, but these tend to be brand new ones -- and they are pretty rare, the color also seemingly being dependent on the specific treatment and type of wood. The brown color, which is more a range than a specific shade, varies from almost black to the tan you've observed. From being new, poles start bleaching, so that very old poles can be basically a gray color -- and there's practically every shade of earth tones in between as they age.
I would argue that what is probably most important is to have a variety of colors for a pole line that sees regular maintance, unless it is either very new or very old and is just this side of being abandoned, like most of the old signal and telegraph poles left over from previous technology along some lines. Most of these lines have been or are being cleaned up, since RRs have taken to leasing right of way to fiberoptic cable while using it or using buried cables themselves for what pole lines used to do.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Mine are a sprayed with splotches of Floquil Rail Brown and Grimy Black.
One appears in the lower right:
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
I guess what I'm attempting to recreate are what I see around my area which are rather old poles. They are very bleached looking with colors ranging in the light tan / light gray range.
I guess it's kinda like "what color is concrete" ??? There has to be at least 127 shades of concrete as well !!!
1. Have you looked at the green shades...
2. Have you compared the north side to the other sides of a pole?
3. California and New Mexico Poles are going to be different from Nebraska, Washington and New England Poles
4. Different poles also use different "insulators"/ wire carriers at diferent times, for different jobs and more...
First I paint the pole black, then a little brown by dry-brush or with chalk. This gives the pole a look of texture. For my poles I use those long Q-tips with wooden shafts.
loathar wrote:The ones by me are a light tannish, grayish color but at the bottoms they are a dark, almost sepia brown where the kreasote has wash down the pole with age.
I don't think that creosote would wash down a pole. It is not like paint but gets into the wood... on a thin fence plank it can soak right through from one side to the other. A lot of poles were laid in taks of creosote and both ties and some poles were pressure treated to force the chemical right into the heart of the wood. Either way the wood and creosote usually go a paler colour with age.
Where the lower post is darker and quite fresh looking this is usually because the company has re-coated the lower 6 feet or so. I've always assumed that they do just this bit because the bit near the ground is likely to be the first to rot... especially if there are a lot of dogs about... Why coat to 6' high? Presumiably they have a lot of Great Danes and Wolf Hounds...
In some instances you will get a nice ring of creosote around the base of the pole, especially in warmer climates. Some poles can be really nasty with creosote (I have hooked many a pole, so I can personally attest to this). I definately prefer climbing when it is cooler outside.
Edit: Creosote can most certainly wash down a pole. I have brought plenty of it home with me on my clothes (my wife hates when I do this). It will also burn your skin if you get enough creosote "dust" on you.