Sagging Telegraph Lines

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hughesp87
Posts: 137
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:25 pm

Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby hughesp87 » Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:35 pm

Having installed the required lineside telegraph poles on my layout, I'm now thinking about the appropriate lines between them. The aim is to use EZ-Line, which many of you will know is an elasticated thread that regains its shape if accidentally knocked - a valuable feature when track cleaning!

The problem is that in order to make full use of the elastic properties, the line has to be taught, and therefore doesn't have the customary 'sag' evident on all telegraph and power lines.

I seem to recall that someone on this forum (perhaps one of our North American bretheren?) had got round this by brushing the lines with a thin film of superglue so that they maintained their 'sag' and still kept their shape. Does anyone recall this and can anyone offer any evidence as to whether this might be a suitable way forward?

Many thanks,

Geraint Hughes
Obbekaer (p87)
Geraint Hughes
Cromford & High Peak in P4
Danish Railways in P87

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Tim V
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Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:40 pm

Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby Tim V » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:33 pm

I personally don't bother with telegraph wires or fence wires. They are about 1/8", or 0.042mm. My wife would soon complain about me cutting her hair (diameter 0.18mm) for oversize wires :!:
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

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Ian Everett
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:43 pm

Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby Ian Everett » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:49 pm

hughesp87 wrote:The problem is that in order to make full use of the elastic properties, the line has to be taught


So you are using memory wire?

Ian :geek:

Terry Bendall
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Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby Terry Bendall » Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:35 am

Tim V wrote:My wife would soon complain about me cutting her hair


If the cottage builders at Pendon can use human hair for thatch ..... :D (or at least I think they did once)

Terry Bendall

martin goodall
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Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:20 pm

Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby martin goodall » Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:39 pm

Terry Bendall wrote:If the cottage builders at Pendon can use human hair for thatch ..... :D (or at least I think they did once)

Terry Bendall


Well, yes, about 50+ years ago. Pendon long since gave up using human hair and went over to using hanks of plumbers' hemp. All the cottage roofs that were originally thatched with hair have long since been re-roofed with plumbers' hemp.

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Andy W
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Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby Andy W » Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:09 pm

"All the cottage roofs that were originally thatched with hair have long since been re-roofed with plumbers' hemp." I have a brother-in-law whose head has followed a similar route.
Make Worcestershire great again.
Build a wall along the Herefordshire border and make them pay for it.

Lindsay G
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:16 am

Re: Sagging Telegraph Lines

Postby Lindsay G » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:19 pm

Post by Ealing » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:09 pm

"All the cottage roofs that were originally thatched with hair have long since been re-roofed with plumbers' hemp." I have a brother-in-law whose head has followed a similar route.

That made me have a damn good giggle! Nice bit of light relief after battling with a lathe, of which there will be more later.

Lindsay


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