This is the Second M-4325 specimen recovered from the Electron-Seattle( 1903) 55Kv transmission line, The first high voltage transmission line in the Pacific Northwest United States . After an exhaustive decade long search of the line I sadly feel no more of these historic classics will be found . As you can see, this is a totally reconstructed insulator that still needs a lot of work but at least it is good enough to display. This specimen is an all original cement insulator . The crown and core were found intact and unbroken with the heads of all three lower skirts still cemented in on an initial hunt with Paul Greaves, Carver Mead, and Barbra Smith this last spring. Four subsequent solo digs at the site yielded enough parts to reconstruct the mostly complete insulator. As you can see, I was able to find the majority of it's original skirts and epoxy them back together . The collar skirt is really crude and warty! This specimen was removed from service around 1914. I spent a total of 40 hours digging the site where this was recoverd . I suspect the insulator was changed out around 1912 with a later Thomas made unit of the same design ( which itself was removed in 1939 by the date nail in the curent standing pole nearby .

This specimen is marked with Fred Locke marking 7-1[id=341606459] which makes it a one of a kind unit ... The other recovered specimen is marked with marking 6-1, a slightly older marking stamp which was introduced in early 1902. We know that all of these insulators were supplied to the line by June of 1903 which dates the marking stamp on this insulator to the spring of 1903. when the order for these these insulators was completed . I intend to eventually restore this rare jewel back to it's former glory filling in and painting the missing parts and cracks . For me finding examples of these insulators is one of my greatest triumphs as a collector as they are priceless parts of the development of electrical power transmission as well as the development of early insulator designs . In my opinion this piece deserves it's equal place along with the U-937 Niagara and the Duncan Patent suspension . This insulator was as far as anyone knows, the worlds first four part cemented multipart. It is also the very first lilyshell design insulator .( here is a photo of the only other Fred Locke M-4325 I recovered[id=338954176]) Here is a photo of me findig one of the pole ridge pins from this line [id=336079741] and here is a historic photo of the line itself [id=335844717]