2005 National Show Report - Part 3 of 3
Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", September 2005, page 17
2005 National Show Report
Nor-Cal
Insulator Club
San Jose, California
Top Junior
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Judged best \ Junior Exhibit was Andrew Elliott's display of insulators
embossed with a "Star".
NIA's President Dudley Ellis presents the award to Andrew.
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Clay Bledsoe
exhibited insulators with
nicknames like
"mickey
mouse", "bat ears"
and "hot cross buns".
At the awards banquet,
Clay presented the Len
Liscott Insulator Pioneer
Award
for the Most
Important Contribution to
the Insulator Collecting
Hobby to your
Crown Jewels editors...
Linda and myself.
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Show Curiosity
Unusual items appear at every show.
What was the purpose of the clamp on this
cable insulator?
Thread Maker
Here's a great "go-with".
It's a device,
with an internal blade,
that was used for
carving threads
onto
threadless pins.
Early Patents & Other Old Stuff
Mike Guthrie displayed early styles of insulators
manufactured from glass,
porcelain, rubber and metal.
His exhibit earned him the NIA's award
for Best
Display of Threadless Insulators,
and the Chesapeake Bay Insulator Club's award
for
Best Exhibit Using Railroad Insulators.
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Eloise & Butch Haltman
displayed some of the
rare insulators
from their
collection
including the
cobalt CD 724,
CD 139 Combination Safety,
cobalt CD
140.5,
and CD 317.9
shown here. |
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Question of Wood
Barrie Rufi obtained the two wooden insulators above at the National. The one
on the left is a typical San Francisco wood. The one on the right? A few of
these odd shaped items about been around for decades. But are they original? Or
the result of grinding down an original? If any lineman recalls taking these out
of service, Barrie would like to hear from you.
Historic Walk-In
One of the exciting aspects of any show is the anticipation of what item
might "walk in". The CD 735.4 U.S. Tel shown below is
one such item that found its way to San Jose. Used on the original
transcontinental telegraph line, the insulator and original pin was found east
of Sacramento in the 1960's. Protected by the insulator, and a burlap covering,
the top of the pin stands out in sharp contrast to the rest of the weathered
side-peg. It found a new, and happy, owner.
History walks in the door...
Combined California Display
A number of collectors brought their
favorite California embossed insulators
for a combined display at the National Show.
Shown below are two CD 161 signals
with exceptionally large pieces of metal
embedded in the glass.
Photographs
of the National Show
that are
shown in this article
were taken by
Kevin Jacobson
and
Howard Banks.
Color Printing
Provided by
Tommy Bolack.
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