Monday, November 11, 2013

And the wires came down

Our neighborhood undergrounding project continues. Last week we had the transformer debacle, when the new ground-level transformer blew because it was too small. That got replaced with a larger model rather quickly and we are now up and running on the new buried power line.

September 2013: The old transformer at the top of the pole (center of photo). The pole on the left is staying put.

Then, the workers took away the old pole-mounted transformer and cut the line between it and our houses. Pretty soon after that, the old aerial wires were cut and pulled down. All that remains now are the glass insulators at the top of the poles and the poles themselves.

November 2013: Transformer is gone as is wire connecting to pole on left. Since I took this picture, the wires that go off to the right (barely visible here) are gone.

I will be very interested to watch the workers take the poles down. They're made of concrete, not wood or steel. I'd love to ask the guys for a couple of those glass insulators. One of my grandfathers worked for the telephone company in upstate New York back in the fifties and sixties and he always had those blue glass insulators around his house when I was a kid. Having one would remind me of those days.

Notice how the vineyards have gone from green in the top photo to golden yellow in the bottom photo. You can also see how brown the grass in our yard was in the summer (top) compared to how green it is now (bottom).

10 comments:

  1. ask them for one of the glass pieces; they might just hand you a couple! have a great week!

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  2. Undergrounding wires is really nice. I wish they would get rid of those really ugly wooden poles in California.

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  3. I'm sure the workmen would gladly let you have one of the glass insulators. They will probably think it a strange request but I don't suppose they have any value. We have seen them lying in fields and rubbish tips, where they were obviously just thrown away.
    It would be nice to have one I think.

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  4. One of our neighbours has scounged a load of the concrete poles for use as a rough bridge across the millstream so I'm sure you can blag a couple of insulators. Anything to avoid tipping must be good.

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  5. Your grass shows that rain is good. Take a picture of the insulator for us, if you score one.

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  6. So they're burying the power lines, but not the telephone lines at the same time? I'm guessing not as this would be too efficient. Anyway, the fewer above ground lines the better. Hope you can get the insulators as they are indeed very cool.

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  7. we don't have poles here; it always strikes me as odd to visit regions still with them.

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  8. I think the workers will gladly give you as many of those insulators as you want. I can also really notice the difference in foliage in the two photos.

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  9. All the lines are buried here in the new burbs. Good luck on scoring some insulators!
    I love your shrub. It appears so soft.

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