Quote:
Originally Posted by pmmunro
That's a very memorable story Tim, thanks for telling it.
Anyone who has been in a similar siuation can readily empathise.
I believe that open pair wires gained prominence in the early days of telegraph systems because, apart from cost, insulating materials simply weren't good enough for underground cables.
PMM
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This is one of the early telgraph routes installed in the early 1870's by the Royal Engineers on behalf of the General Post Office when the private telegraph companies were nationalised by the 1869 Telegraph Act and the network extended to remote locations.
These poles are undated which indicates great vintage and note the original single spindle on the top for the original single wire earth return telegraph circuit.
The arms were added at a later date to provide the five junctions to the exchange at Diabaig when it opened in 1937. A drivable road did not reach Diabaig until the 1970's! It was only reachable on foot or by sea until then.
The junctions were still in use until later the day I took the photos in March 1994 on the day of change-over of Diabaig to digital working.
The route was some ten miles long starting off at sea level by the lochside at Torridon and climbing to over 1600 ft which such steepness the the top of one pole was lower the the bottom of the next one up the mountain!
Imagine maintaining that route!
Any one know of any bare copper junctions still in use after that date?
I must digitise the video I made of the entire route.