Electrical Transmission Tower

[tehachapifan]

 

SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!

[TrainCat2]

What do you think about this?  Or are you just looking for the tower in your link?

Looks exactly like mine

[pmpexpress]

I have an unbuilt TrainCat kit.  It looks nice, but I've never found a use for ONE tower.  Or a bunch, for that matter.  No major transmission lines along my route.  Any I would add would be wooden poles.

For those who have one, Sommerfeldt in Europe makes hollow plastic insulators, in various sizes, that could be used with these towers.

EDIT:  Mine is NOT TrainCat, but "Into Details", which seems to have vanished without a trace, and apparently without many memories.

Have three of the photo-etched brass Into Details Kit # TT2-106 Electrical Transmission Towers on hand.

The following passage is from the kit's assembly instructions sheet:

"The Merrimack River Crossing Transmission Tower was originally designed and built in 1936 for the town of Merrimack NH and is still in use today.

Its two 3-phase lines carry electrical power (35KV) from the hydroelectric power plant on the west bank of the Merrimack River to the town's distribution center on the east bank.

The tower's mechanical design is typical of electrical suspension structures built throughout the USA and Canada.

The kit is modeled in exact detail from dimensional blueprints of the 1930s', therefore it represents the highest degree in scale realism possible.

Into Details gratefully acknowledges Public Service of New Hampshire for information used in the development of this kt."

With a different tower design, at 97 scale feet tall, the Into Details no solder kit is somewhat smaller than the Traincat Model Sales products are.



Into Details TT2-160 Electrical Transmission Tower Kit Package Photo



Into Details TT2-160 Electrical Transmission Tower Kit Brass Fret Artwork

[peteski]

Looks exactly like mine

I would say similar, but not exact. Seems more "lacy".

[sd45elect2000]

i can use a couple.
In many cases, especially in the Midwest, the power corridors were shared with the electric railroads. Often this was because the utility companies owned the rail lines as well.
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I would like to make these, need to learn how to.


I would need them for foreground models.

Randy

[peteski]

I would like to make these, need to learn how to.
I would need them for foreground models.

Randy

For such lacy delicate structures photoetched metal is likely the best choice.  Other methods like 3D printing would likely result in "heavier" look and also be more fragile.

[sd45elect2000]

For such lacy delicate structures photoetched metal is likely the best choice.  Other methods like 3D printing would likely result in "heavier" look and also be more fragile.

I agree with etched . I have no clue how to find the dimensions for these , they are unique.

[TrainCat2]

Quite easy Randy, if you know how or have the design.

[sd45elect2000]

Quite easy Randy, if you know how or have the design.

It may be easy at that. It’s a skill I don’t currently have but I may be able to learn . There are still a number of these towers still in use and there are many photos of them so I might be able to extrapolate the dimensions.
I can’t imagine anyone but me wanting these so it would be very me specific.

Randy

[tehachapifan]

I'm pondering how one could install these on a layout. Assuming you would string power lines between them, how would you deal with stringing the 1st and last tower? I guess you could put a power station at one end, but what about the other? What if the last tower was at the edge of the layout? Also, what might be a good material to represent the power lines? Said material would ideally need to provide the gentle sag between towers.

[peteski]

I'm pondering how one could install these on a layout. Assuming you would string power lines between them, how would you deal with stringing the 1st and last tower? I guess you could put a power station at one end, but what about the other? What if the last tower was at the edge of the layout? Also, what might be a good material to represent the power lines? Said material would ideally need to provide the gentle sag between towers.

One we installed on friend's layout is nearby a power generating station.  No wires were strung.  We just kind of plopped it there.  I built the tower and my friend probably just humored me by using it on the layout. 


But it should not be necessary that the power lines have a visible origin and a destination. Just like with other types of scenery (like roads) continuing into backdrop, power lines could originate and end into the backdrop (if wires are strung).

[tehachapifan]

One we installed on friend's layout is nearby a power generating station.  No wires were strung.  We just kind of plopped it there.  I built the tower and my friend probably just humored me by using it on the layout. 


But it should not be necessary that the power lines have a visible origin and a destination. Just like with other types of scenery (like roads) continuing into backdrop, power lines could originate and end into the backdrop (if wires are strung).

Right, but my question is as much about how to actually string the first and last pole. I mean, there would be a fairly substantial lateral pull on the insulators of that tower, right?

[peteski]

Right, but my question is as much about how to actually string the first and last pole. I mean, there would be a fairly substantial lateral pull on the insulators of that tower, right?

If you decide to string some sort of "wire", the insulators are likely rather stiff, and probably rigidly mounted to the arm. On the tower I built the insulators were cast metal and I soldered them to the brass arm.  Plus like you mentioned, if there is sag, then there should not be much pull. And whatever "wire" you use, it would be rather lightweight anyway.  The end towers would only have to bear the pull of the wire between them and the previous tower.  The towers themselves could be solidly pinned into the layout.

I also agree with you that there should be sag on the wires, and in N scale this would likely have to be modeled using very thin stiff brass or stainless (like 0.005" diameter) wire/rod.

[dem34]

wow, really does the intricacy of the truss work justice.

[Rick112]

Looks exactly like mine

Not exactly.  But thank you.  The features are more delecate.  It's etched from SS and there are options.  It was my first project.  We sure wish you'd come back!  I am working on other "similar" projects but I am also working on models for 3D printing.

Rick