About the Author

Every English schoolboy in the 1950's went through the train-spotting phase and I was no exception. Steam engines reigned supreme and nobody suspected that it would end. Then I grew up, went to University to study Electrical Engineering, married and raised a family. 

Once these chores were over with, I was able to actively pursue my interest in railways once again. But what a change had taken place -- steam had been replaced by diesel and electric locomotives, semaphore signals had given way to colour lights, and most minor railway lines and small stations had long since closed down.

A typical scene on the Settle-Carlisle Line in 1990. A class 47 diesel
locomotive hauls the afternoon Carlisle to Leeds train on the 
14th of July. The telegraph poles are still standing,
but unused with red-glazed "pots" on the top arms.

Undeterred, I was not going to let nostalgia be a thing of the past. There had to be something I could dig up which would rekindle the memories of those halcyon days of my youth. So I settled for steam railway photography (there still is the occasional steam special, locally), collecting cast iron Victorian railway signs (trespass notices etc.) and railway telegraph insulators.

(Right) Close-up of the insulator group on previous photograph. Mostly LMS cordeaux 1930/1948 types with one corrugated insulator (Far left, fifth crossarm down). A red-glazed cordeaux sits on each end of the top crossarm.
	(Left) A rare sight in 1990 -- three Fuller/Langdon patent corrugated insulators stand sentinel over Norton-in-Ribblesdale station on the Settle-Carlisle line.

Since my house is now groaning under the weight of too much cast iron, I have to concentrate on insulators -- they don't take up quite as much space.

Varley's Z-type patent insulators on original bracket for mounting under
 a railway bridge, recovered from a disused section of the North
Eastern Railway in County Durham. (From top to bottom) Brown
stoneware marked TMC; Dark brown-glazed porcelain, Black composition;
White porcelain. Note: Some of my cast iron sign collection.

A History Lesson

Let's just turn the clock back a hundred years. Victorian England was criss-crossed by a veritable maze of railways, operated by over a hundred different railway companies. There were more than 25 railway companies operating in my home county of Yorkshire. 

After the First World War was over, economic depression set in and the railways had to be made more efficient if they were to survive. On the 1st of January 1923, all the smaller companies were, by Act of Parliament, swallowed up by the major companies.

The "Midland Railway Co." based in Derby, the "Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co." based in Manchester amalgamated with the London-based "London and North Western Railway Co." and some Scottish lines to be henceforth known as the "London Midland and Scottish Railway Co.".

Similarly, the "North Eastern Railway" based in York joined forces with the "Great Northern Railway", the "Great Central" and the "Great Eastern" to become the "London and North Eastern Railway Co." 

This grouping together of the operating companies had a standardising effect on the design practices of railway equipment and telegraph insulators in particular.

Part of the author's collection. (Top row, left to right:) Very early Lancashire & Yorkshire Rly (c. 1880); Pot head terminator, LNER, 1940; Standard cordeaux, GPO, 1950; Red-glazed terminator, LMS, 1935; Lancashire & Yorkshire Rly, 1904; Black composition terminator, GPO type; Miniature cordeaux. (Bottom row, left to right) Shackle insulator, c. 1900; Varley's Z-type in brown earthenware, C. 1890; Pot head terminator, LMS, 1938; Corrugated insulator, MR, 1886; Double-grooved cordeaux, LMS, 1946; early Langdon "cone" insulator, c. 1890.

Early Insulator Design

In the early days (1850-1900), there was a multitude of patented designs mainly manufactured from stoneware and glazed brown, though ebonite, black composite and wood were also used. Glass was virtually never used in England for insulators. Most of these very early designs had no inner shed (North American collectors refer to this as an inner skirt) and are now virtually unobtainable in-situ. The many Varley patents date from this period.

Early brown earthenware insulators. (Top row, left to right) Double-grooved GPO cordeaux, Varley's Z-type from HER line; Corrugated insulator, Midland Rly; Cordeaux, marked "Bullers Ltd London", Midland Rly; Spool insulator, LNER line. White porcelain insulators smoke-stained as found. (Bottom row, left to right) Double-grooved cordeaux, LNWR; large terminator, LNER; Langdon triple shed, Midland Rly; Standard cordeaux, LMS; Standard cordeaux, LNER; Lancashire & Yorkshire Rly, LYR 13; Corrugated insulator, Midland Rly, with lightning rod; LMS pot head terminator on J-bolt.

During the period c. 1880-1920, white porcelain became the predominant material. The design became more complex (often for no real reason other than trial and error) with multiple sheds and multiple side grooves. Langdon cones, inverted cones and corrugated insulators date from this period. 

From the 1920's onwards, variants of the basic Cordeaux design became predominant with pot head (dry spot) terminal insulators used for terminating a line at a signal box or tunnel entrance. These were mostly off-white or cream colored porcelain, though brown glazed porcelain and black composition was also occasionally used. Sometimes a red glaze was added during the manufacturing process. I have only ever observed these red insulators on the outermost top crossarms of telegraph poles and were presumably for carrying higher voltage power supply circuits.

English telegraph practice has always been to put multiple oak or teak crossarms on pitch pine poles and the railways were no exception. Very early spindles (pins) were cemented into the insulator but by about 1880 this practice had mostly died out as screwed spindles became the norm. Most spindles were straight, but "J"-shaped and "W"- shaped spindles were sometimes used when the insulator had to be positioned under the cross arm for any reason.

Special means for the deflection of lightning strikes does not appear to have been a high priority here in England. However, I have found just a few examples of iron lightning detector rods which were arched over the insulator mounted on the pole top.

Searching and Collecting

I have never purchased an insulator in my collection from another collector. These sources don't really exist in the UK yet. The enjoyment has always been in searching, collecting and preserving in the true W. Keith Neal style. 

Some were found buried in topsoil or undergrowth near the spot where poles have been removed. Others have been retrieved, still attached to the cross-arms, having been left on embankments by railway workers who didn't take them back to the depot for scrap (thank goodness). 

Another useful source has been old station buildings and disused engine sheds, though permission from current owner has to be obtained, they usually agree but I believe they think I'm just a little bit mad. 

When it is suspected that existing lines are to go underground and that poles are to be taken down, we request the local Railway Signal and Telegraph Staff to save whatever they can. They are usually co-operative. The fact that my son, Russell, works for British Rail Signal and Telegraph Department in York makes life easier. The intelligent gathering and the obtaining of official Railway permission are an essential part of our collecting process. 

Once the insulators have been recovered and brought home, the work of restoration and display can begin. Dirt and surface grime can normally be removed by washing. Heavily smoke-stained items can be brought back to pristine condition by soaking in dilute hydrochloric acid. I occasionally leave on the black soot deposits and just buff up the surface which can be very attractive. This leaves something of a reminder of the countless steam engines that must have passed by.

Insulator Markings

Most insulators possess a manufacturer's trademark which may include the date and pattern number. More rarely, the original railway companies' initials were stamped or glazed on with or without a date. For example:

LYR 07 = Lancashire n Yorkshire Rly Co. 1907.
LMS 29 = London Midland and Scottish Rly Co. 1929
These are the more highly prized.

Initials and trademarks from the various manufacturing companies have been found including:- Fuller and Langdon, Bullers, Jobson Brothers, T and T, G and G, and TMC. Please refer to that excellent book, Worldwide Porcelain Insulators by Marilyn Albers and Jack Tod, for a more complete description of these markings than I have space for here.

A selection of Cordeaux types including a red-glazed LMS (right).

Variations of Bright's patent insulators, originally used 
to lead down a telegraph line to trackside huts.

An LNER Cordeaux (U-1451) with original copper binding, on pole-top mounting bracket with lightning de flector.	An early Langdon patent cone insulator, U-1 981.
Corrugated insulator (U-1 987) marked "Fuller Landon Patent 86" (i.e. 1886)	LMS pot head (dry spot) U-1 938A, terminal insulator, c. 1930
LYR (U-1 563) style marked LYRO4 (1904)	Bennetts patent insulator (U-2839) on original spindle (1939) recovered from disused Engine Shed in the Hull Area.

Many of our insulators are still coated with the original smoke which further enhances their value to us.

Whilst building up a modest collection, we have obtained a few spare and surplus examples. If anyone is interested in having these, we are prepared to ship them out, complete with a full written description and history of each individual insulator. (see advertisement on pages 46-47).

Meanwhile, we shall continue to try and break new ground here in England (in more ways than one!) We hope to dig up many a treasure yet buried and maybe start a trend here which has progressed so far in the U.S.A.

References:
Searching for Railway Telegraph Insulators, by W. Keith Neal - 1982 - Signal Box Press
Worldwide Porcelain Insulators, by Marilyn Albers and Jack H. Tod - 1982/1988