Old Seattle City Light Pole

By Mike Parker; posted November 14, 2011

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An old Seattle City Light transformer bank pole I took a photo of about 1980. The voltage is 4000 or 4150. Note the old style "knucklebuster" porcelain fuse cutouts on the top arm protecting the 3 phase transformers. At the time I was totally amazed to see these still in service! Also the unusual way they placed another crossarm right under the top arm to take the weight of the 3 heavy pole pigs. I have never seen this done even today. The pole was old enough to likely be a Puget Sound Power & Light pole that Seattle City Light inherited when it took over the PSP&L system within the city limits many years ago. The secondary has the typical vertical glass signals on brackets so common around Seattle. The location is near the Alki Beach neighborhood. I would bet the farm that this pole has been upgraded with sky yuk devices and is carrying a voltage a little over 20,000 today! And then there is whatsup with all those lights on the pole !-??

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