NATIONAL - Miniature Poles and Insulators

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", September 2000, (Insert) page 29

Alan Stastny, Arcanum, Ohio

Alan says: For 10 years I have been active in the insulator hobby and 33-1/2 years as a lineman. The many different aspects of the utility industry are great. Insulators have been plentiful and of many styles and colors. The pole constructions also was fascinating. Seems that every line we built was a different style. I had the chance to buy these mini poles (to scale) made by Robert Winkler figuring, just maybe, some day I would display them.

Thirty-four years ago, instead of throwing the insulators off the poles, or filing holes, I decided to save a few of them. I had maybe 30 or 40 of them during the twenty years of work. Then, I was infected with the "national insulatoritus syndrome." There is no known cure, but it can be controlled with rigorous and continued searching and rewarding yourself by attending as many shows as possible. 

As my letter to Robert Winkler states, without Bob s precision work and endless hours of work, this would have never been done. Also, just to add "a little" more to the display, I included the miniature insulators. Again, another thing of the past. 

My dream insulators are a CD 718 and CD 726 in cranberry red. Red is such a very scarce piece to locate and the deep reds really show tough.

Alan Stastny