Letters to the Editor

Reprinted from "Crown Jewels of the Wire", March 1986, page 4

Dear Carol,

The enclosed photos depict a CD 282 Hemingray No. 2 Provo with a rather interesting device cemented to its top. 

According to Kurtz' Lineman's Handbook, 1942 (courtesy of Chris Hedges), "the purpose of a choke coil is to prevent lightning or other high voltage surges from entering building or equipment connected to the line. It acts as a choke to these surges and forces them to take another path to the ground, as over the lightning arrester."

The name plate reads:

I have been unable to determine the nature of the coil and its attachment to this insulator. I would early love a photograph of same, but I am doubtful of its existence. Anyway, here is another insulator oddity to wonder about.
Mike Guthrie
Madera, CA

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Here's another item from Mike...

The piece pictured was purchased from Jim Baird of Descanso, California, at the 1985 San Diego Bottle Show. Jim said he found it in an antique store in Bishop, California about 1966. The owner of the store reportedly found the insulator on an old C.E.W. pony line near Bishop. Jim had cleaned it up quite a bit and had it in his collection since 1966. As shown in the photos, it is made of wood in the shape of a short E.C.& M. (2-1/2" x 3-7/8") It is also threadless! The pinhole is saturated with tar and/or creosote and extends 2-1/2" into the insulator. It looks like it is possibly made of oak. Speculation is that the piece was manufactured as an inexpensive replacement for broken glass insulators.

Dick Bowman of Webster, New York, saw the piece at the St. Charles National and related that he bought one just like it only in a "used" condition at the Cedar Rapids National. Does anyone else have one and do you have any information as to manufacturer, age, usage, etc? Any information would be welcomed.
Mike Guthrie, 
Madera, CA

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A picture is worth a 1000 words. Here is the piece described by Dick Bowman in October, 1985, page 4.