For those who have searched along this line for insulators, here is exactly how one of the the main telegraph lines trekked and looked like from its route between Boston, MA to Albany, a century ago. Added note 1: When you see stuff like this with a shorter crossarm without braces atop a telegraph pole, chances are really good that it was put there with the original pole. In this case c.1880s and with CD 145 CREB's. Additional crossarms were (later) added on and these were 6-pinners, supported by crossarm braces which became the fashion by the mid 1890's. As these poles (as shown) rotted out by 1910 or so, the standard was 10-pin crossarms (Western Union Standard) with metal-wooden cob insulator pins. Given the fact that that things were recycled in those days, the metal-ware was no exception. Double petticoat insulators from earlier construction (such as CREB CD 145's) were re-used. Same with any steel pins with wooden cobs. At least this represents my and others' foraging railroad telegraph lines for insulators and line-construction documentation here in New England. Added note 2: As these aged lines (as above) were upgraded in the teens, Western Union and others quickly got rid of the tired iron wire that kept things together and replaced it with hard-drawn copper wire, along with nothing but double-petticoat glass insulators. Anything "single-petticoat" such as CD 133's, 126's, etc., were tossed as far as Western Union was concerned. Uniformity, consistency and top-notch reliable telegraph comminications from coast-to-coast without interuption was their utmost priority and these bland line construction techniques made the company happy. Added note 3: Clear glass insulators were not the norm when the Western Union Standard (CD 154) was introduced about 1924. But with Whitall Tatum's debut into the insulator-making industry about the same time (1924), maybe they tried making clear ones (that later turned purple) as an aesthetic pitch and/or to get the Bell or Western Union companies to buy them owing to their clear "attractive" color.... Added note 4: Last but most important! Many thanks to Kathleen McLaughlin for sharing these photos with us. Her basic profile is here [id=240377646]. Be sure to give her credit and maybe a nice hug if you see her at any of our Yankee Polecat Insulator Club events ;-) /joe ====================================== |