Does anyone know of any current existing pole line circuits in service?

rather non-descript question, if your thinking about streetcar/interurban/electric, go check out the South Shore that runs between South Bend/Chicago.

Up here in SW Michigan abandoned interurban lines the pole lines they traversed still run electric power around. (or the ROW they used)

Could you clarify this a bit? If we assume this means traditional, North American-style open-wire pole lines for signals and communications, the answer's going to be "not many".

If I recall correctly, many of the poles that were in use by the D&RGW in 1968 along the current Cumbres & Toltec are maintained and plans are in a low priority placement for restoration to be able to show visitors how the lines work.

I think it is a telegraphone but I do not know for sure.

Doug vV

Sorry, yes I meant signal-phone-telegraph.

yep, the main pole lines seem to be dissappearing due to radio. Very common sight. I recall a pic train unrelated about electricity and phones etc in New York and there were a mass of wires running between buildings. Probably 1920ish photo.

I would recheck the south shore again however, I will look next time I am about that way.

Modern wireless communications systems have replaced telegraph lines in most situations, and buried cable or fiber optic lines are replacing much of what remains of traditional code and telephone/telegraph lines; buried cables are easier to maintain and less likely to be damaged or stolen than wire strung from poles. There's a few code circuits still in use here in Albuquerque and further north on the old ATSF "passenger main", but that will disappear once PTC is installed (which may not be as far off as some folks think).

And here I was hoping for a discussion on pole roads...

Tanner and Delany?

I wonder if anyone researched pole line railroads and made a book,...heh, thats a chain driven engine. Even the couplers are poles

Every thing is pole related.

Look at the wheels... and the rails. It's a poleish railroad...

Hi,

Just before I lost my job in 2004, I had some designs for eMachineshop to make an HO pole railroad using a drawings from NG&SLG for a 7' gauge (?) line and using parts of a Gardenia bush for the HO scale poles. I was hoping yo use a Ye Old Huff n Puff static Climax for the power and a new underframe for the motor and spool wheels. It was a fun project. To bad other items killed off the project.

Doug vV

In 2010, I was on the Durango & Silverton. One thing that I saw that was fascinating was the existence of telegraph lines north of Rockwood. Around the High Line, there was what looked like pieces of angle iron, t posts, or whatever was available with an insulator or two still on the end, just sticking out of the rock above the train. In the areas that had more room around the ROW, there was conventional poles, most still standing. The thing that caught my attention was the miles of wire still out there, both hanging and lying on the ground. I remember one particular section where there seemed to be 3 miles of wire just lying on the rocks, following the tracks. I am one of those weird people who notice things like that.

Hi,

My first ride on the D&RGW Silverton Branch was in 1972. The mainline south and east had been removed. It was not many years since a flood in the 1960's (I think) that washed out several miles of track. I recall the many places where there were miles of rail and wire wondering in and out of the Animas. The joint bars were still in place on these miles of rail and sometimes ties were still attached (both in and out of the water).

I do recall the pole crossarms attached to the rocks with no poles at all. It was all exciting for an 11 year old. It was my first narrow gauge ride I can recall excepting the ride (using ex-D&RGW cars) at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Doug vV

There are at least a couple British heritage railways that maintain the old-style telegraph-communicated block instrument interlocking systems, and still staff signal boxes and stations with staff that communicate on old-style systems. I seem to recall Bluebell, North Yorkshire Moors, K&WV, and Severn Valley operating this way when I was there in 1991. If they've upgraded to electronics, radio despatch, or radio electronic token block systems, I don't know about it.......