M-4321's still up in the air after 100 years

By Mark Lauckner; posted July 12, 2011

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Bottom right on the pole on the left is a M-4321. Installed around 1908 and still in service in 2011! In the background, across the river is one of the generating stations on the Canadian side of the Columbia river.

A major power line in the Kootenays of BC Canada was wrecked about 10 years ago. It was 6 poles wide, 60kv on each pole. Now only one or 2 poles remain.

Lots of the residents in the area saved the insulators, an assortment consisting mainly of M-4321's, unmarked. The occasional one had a number or letter stamp on the unglazed crown. There are a few people selling them off for $20 each, Peter of Peter's doors in Thrums (Nr. Castelgar) has about 50, and Emil has about 20 in Castlegar. He asked me to provide his number 250-365-5003, in case anyone wanted to arrange pick-up of any.

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