11 replies to this topic

[TexasLineworker]

Guess they got their moneys worth out of these.

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[topgroove]

we have a bunch like that with the old wood pins. so rotten you have to real gentle. alot of times they squeeze a heavy ass cast iron tub way up at the top, or those arm hanger transformers. funny... that pole still looks like its in good shape.
Is that 4.8 kv delta? glad you could get the truck to that one!

[TexasLineworker]

Hey Topgroove, that pole was not in too bad shape, but it was called to be pulled out of there. That is actually a 7620/13,800 Y system with a single 120/240 single bushing pot on it. What throws you off is the way I had to bend the secondary leads around the pot. It is a weird thing that CPS Energy has in their construction standards that when you have 3 or more services hitting a pole, you will use this contraption called a 3 hole rack. It is roughly a smaller version of a half-arm, about 24" long with 3 holes drilled in it to accept 5/8" bolts. You mount that rack with two 24" DA's and mount that whole thing straight up and down just below the transformer. Then, they require the 1/0 AL secondary to come out of the secondary bushings, sweep around hitting the rack and then folding back to the opposite side of the pole, being stapled to the pole behind the transformer. Now the term secondary leads becomes the term secondary buss. In this case, we only had one house service and streetlight service hitting that transformer, but the prints stilled called for the rack.

Here is a pick of what I'm kinda talking about. Imagine it with the small pot gone and one side of this rack gone. The way the secondary leads leave the pot and sweep around to act as a "buss" to land the services on.

Probably a little more info than you cared to know, but wtf, at least a little traffic is coming thru this forum!

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[Wood Pecker]

That looks way better than the first pix!!!
I hope alot of the comm guys see this pix, This will help us to pay more attention to the crossarms and not just the pole.
I imagine if a lineman was to climb one of those rotted crossarm poles he may be able to shake one of those conductors loose?

WP

[cableape]

If that were to happen, talk about a CRAPPY day.

[Lightningrod]

Wow, I don't know if I've ever seen arms in that bad of shape and still holding conductor. What's the idea behind the conductor buss setup that you use, it does look like it would be a bit of an overkill for a few services but I may be missing something.

[topgroove]

Wow, I don't know if I've ever seen arms in that bad of shape and still holding conductor. What's the idea behind the conductor bus setup that you use, it does look like it would be a bit of an overkill for a few services but I may be missing something.

I here ya Lightningrod, but as TexasLineworker says its there standards. Gotta agree, it does seam a little over the top. Sometimes engineers put things in the standards book just to make themselves feel important, But if thats the way they want it built thats the way they'll get it.
Those were the nastiest arms I have ever seen 13.8KV on for sure!

[TexasLineworker]

John, all the "buss" setup does is give you a place to land multiple services. Yes, it is CPS Energys standard for a pole with 3 or more services, or if they are expecting more services at a future date. Here is another pic of the two pot bank. Remember, the rack in this pic is actually a lot larger than the little 3 hole rack that I mentioned earlier. I'm just using this two pot bank as a reference on how the leads are used as busswork because I dont have a pic yet of the actual 3 hole rack.

Topgroove, we found another one a few blocks away. Deadend pole again, back arm rotten through and through with a birds nest right about where the brace bolt goes. The birds were going in from the end of the arm.

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[Lightningrod]

Looks like you are upgrading the structures in the area in the nick of time, those arms are well past their prime for sure. Looking forward to pic's of the actual rack setup your talking about....never seen anything quit like that big rack before.

[Wood Pecker]

TLW,
How old are those arms? What caused them to rot that bad?

WP

[topgroove]

John, all the "buss" setup does is give you a place to land multiple services. Yes, it is CPS Energys standard for a pole with 3 or more services, or if they are expecting more services at a future date. Here is another pic of the two pot bank. Remember, the rack in this pic is actually a lot larger than the little 3 hole rack that I mentioned earlier. I'm just using this two pot bank as a reference on how the leads are used as busswork because I dont have a pic yet of the actual 3 hole rack.

Topgroove, we found another one a few blocks away. Deadend pole again, back arm rotten through and through with a birds nest right about where the brace bolt goes. The birds were going in from the end of the arm.

Look how those oldtimers used to double nut everything! they built stuff to last 75 years back than. if they had the chemicals to treat the wood that crap would still be in the air today.

[TexasLineworker]

Another CPS Energy standard, washer-headed nuts on almost everything backed up by square nuts. Nothing on primary construction has square washers on it. The neutral, any racks, and down guys do have square washers. Dave, those arms are at least 30 years old, probably more. The maintenance contract was to replace anything 30 years old or older. These are just old and weathered.....and neglected.

LR, here is one of those racks. The buss comes from the transformer, sweeps around to my side and is loose stapled to the rack, then continues to sweep around behind the pole and exits out the other side where my buddy is at on the right. You can see his connections at the end of the busswork.

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