48-year-old Dave Kurns climbs more than poles. His specialty as a private contractor for the Union Pacific Railroad is tree topping. 
                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                

Working in the heavily timbered Pacific Northwest Dave gets the call when a tree threatens railroad lines or equipment The picture (below) taken in the Columbia River Gorge, shows Dave taking down a leaner/that is poised to fall across a slide fence, railroad tracks as well as telegraph lines; and even poses danger to the train approaching in the background. Dave climbs the tree to cut the top out of it. In the picture, the tree top has just crashed to the ground, with Dave hanging on as the trunk sways back and forth. His chain saw dangles below. Trees are brought down a piece at a time in order to keep the trunk from reaching equipment it could damage, such as the slide fence directly down the slope. 

Dave says he calls his boss first thing every morning to discuss the railroad's safety needs and then they decide the work priority for the day. Dave lives on the Pacific Coast at Astoria. But the day's work may take him many hundreds of miles away to some remote trouble spot on the UPRR.

Some days the work is mere maintenance of the telegraph lines, removing limbs that have grown into the reach of the wire, or interfering with wireless signals. And along the Columbia Gorge, there's the slide fences. Always the slide fences. Several railroads cling to the edges of the narrow Gorge. There's a constant danger of rock slides, snow slides, and falling trees. 

When Dave's not working you may find him riding the rails. He. is a member of the Nehalem Bay Speeder Club. Nehalem, Oregon is a place of mysterious tales of lost Spanish treasure. But Dave treasures the adventure of motoring down the railroad tracks in the little Speeder cars. The picture shown here depicts Dave and friends with their Speeders on a trestle of the Portland and Western Railroad near Banks, OR.

When it comes to insulator collecting, Dave describes himself as a "'Color nut". He is partial to colorful CD 162's 151's and beehives. The CD 151 shown in color on page 17 is one of the Dave's prizes. The depth of color was hidden beneath decades of diesel smoke coating the exterior of the insulator. The same is true for the two milk-filled H.G. Co. Petticoat beehives show on page 18. Besides UPRR Dave works for three other railroads. Those three allow him to change out insulators. Just to get an idea of Dave's eye for color, take a look at the picture shown on the inside of the back cover of this month's issue of Crown Jewels.

Dave didn't start collecting insulators until the late 1990's. But his fascination for the hobby brings some good natured teasing from his friends, including cartoonist Monte Mickel of Montana. (below and page 19). 

Insulator collectors, railroad enthusiasts and tree toppers are invited to contact Dave at:
88700 Wadsworth Road, Astoria, OR 97103.

Dave's Delights

This fantastic amber swirled, green, CD 151 H.G. Co. Petticoat is one of the treasures saved from certain destruction by insulator collector and lineman Dave Kurns.

Dave's Delights

Two more of Dave's picks include a milky swirled 
H.G. Co. Petticoat CD 145 beehive (top), 
and another with a huge blob of milk (bottom).

"WOW MAN.....A DELFT BLUE, 
I HOPE IT DOESN'T HAVE A CRACK!"